Sample of Secrets, Lies & Vodka Parties

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 10

The aeroplane landed with a bump on the melting tarmac. Poppy held on to Jack’s hand, squeezing her eyes shut.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked.

Poppy nodded.

‘I’m okay with the flying bit. It’s just the landing that scares me,’ she said opening her eyes.

‘Wow, look at the view.’

Poppy looked out of the window. In the distance all she could see was mountains. Lush, green mountains covered with olive trees.

‘Where’s the sea?’ she asked Jack.

‘Probably behind us. We’ll be able to see better when we get out of the airport.’

They waited in their seats until the pilot told them they could get off.

‘Whoa!’

Poppy squinted at the sun as a wave of heat hit her. She walked down the steps and onto the runway.

There was a bus waiting to take them across the tarmac. They got on it, squashed up against strangers.

The whole bus reeked of sweat and she tried to hold her breath.

As soon as it stopped at the tiny Zante airport building, every one piled off as quick as they could.

‘What do we do now?’ Daisy asked, loosening her blouse.

‘We need to go and wait for our bags,’ Jack said, following the crowd.

They stood in the stuffy building until they saw their scruffy, dog-eared bags come through the plastic sheeting.

Jack and Colin grabbed them, while Daisy and Poppy looked for an exit.

A small door marked the exit. As soon as they got outside, Poppy searched in her bag for a cig.

‘Don’t start smoking more just because I’ve mentioned it,’ Jack said smiling.

Taxi’s lined up outside the building in front of the coaches.

‘Please don’t say we have to get into one of those small, stuffy taxi’s,’ Daisy moaned.

‘Afraid so,’ Poppy said. ‘The coach wasn’t included in the package.

She took some papers out of her folder.

‘Minanti Apartments,’ she said. ‘That’s where we’re staying. Look on the bright side, at least we don’t have to sit on the coach while it drops every one else off.’

They all got in to a taxi, showing the driver the map in her folder. He showed her his ten fingers, which she translated as ten minutes away. If he spoke any English, he didn’t show it.

They arrived outside a small, but charming two-floor apartment block. Bright pink and purple flower beds lined the path leading up to the entrance. All around them were mountains, seeming to go way up into the clouds.

‘Looks nice,’ Colin commented, digging his glasses out of the top of his suitcase.

‘Wow, it’s beautiful,’ Daisy said.

They walked up the path to be greeted by a small Greek lady. She had a mop bucket in her hand, and Poppy wondered if she was the cleaner. She spoke English well. They gave her their names and she led them up to the top floor.

‘Here are your keys. Two people in here, and two next door. You share a balcony,’ she said pointing at the two rooms. ‘I’ll come in and clean on Wednesday and provide you with fresh towels. Feel free to use the pool.’

She hobbled down the stairs with the mop bucket.

‘We have to share?’

Poppy looked through her papers.

‘It didn’t say anything about sharing rooms.’

They all piled into the first room, dumping their suitcases in the small kitchenette. Colin and Daisy went out onto the balcony while Poppy and Jack explored the rest of the apartment.

‘Small isn’t it,’ she said to Jack.

‘It’s only for sleeping in though, isn’t it? We’ll be out most of the time.’

The kitchenette comprised of a small sink, an electric hob and a kettle. There was a tiny fridge on the work surface.

‘Is that all we get to cook with?’ she said. ‘Colin won’t be happy.’

‘We’ll be eating out anyway Poppy, stop moaning.’

She smiled.

‘Sorry, I keep forgetting how cheap it was.’

Jack stood, frowning in the doorway.

‘Don’t even say I’ve got to share that bed with Colin,’ he said, staring at the double bed.

Poppy laughed. ‘Don’t worry, he won’t try it on with you or anything.’

They went out onto the balcony. Colin and Daisy stopped talking suddenly and burst out laughing.

‘What’s so funny?’

‘We’ve decided that we want to share a room,’ Colin said, smirking.

‘But we can’t share a bed,’ Poppy said looking at Jack in horror.

‘You’ve done it before.’

Poppy blushed.

‘Yeah, that was different.’

‘It’ll be okay, we’re friends aren’t we? We’ll cope,’ Jack said.

Poppy leaned over the balcony, sulking. The pool was just underneath them, a few deck chairs scattered about.

‘Have you noticed how quiet it is here?’

The only sounds they could hear were birds singing.

‘I can see the sea, it’s only there,’ Daisy said, pointing over a line of olive trees.

‘Shall we all have a nap before we go out exploring,’ Poppy said, stifling a yawn.

‘Yeah, I’m knackered.’

Colin went to get his and Daisy’s suitcases.

‘It’s good that we share the balcony though isn’t it?’ Daisy said. ‘We can all have lunch out here, together.’

Poppy laughed.

‘Just wait until Colin sees what we have to cook with.’

Colin and Daisy went next door to unpack.

Poppy climbed into bed with her clothes on.

‘If you come onto my half of the bed, you’ll be sleeping on the floor,’ she said to Jack, who stripped off to his boxers.

She tried not to look, but couldn’t help admiring his body.

Not again Poppy, she thought. Not again.

*

Exercise Your Brain to Improve Your Mind

Your brain is the supercomputer that organises your whole body. Without it, we would not live. We go to the gym, run, play and exercise to keep our body's fit and healthy, so why not exercise your brain to keep it healthy? We need to keep our brain in shape through regular exercise.

Here are 7 ways to keep your brain healthy:

1. Learn something new – it could be a language, a new sport, how to drive or even a skill like sewing or calligraphy. This also includes trying new things, like tastes, smells and textures.
2. Do a puzzle – doing a crossword or sudoku puzzle will exercise your brain, and improve your mind. Try doing a small puzzle every day for a week, and notice the difference.
3. Improve your memory – Practise memorising things, like your grocery list or five new telephone numbers. Repetition of the items you want to memorise will help you to remember them long-term.
4. Try a new way of doing something – have a go at writing with your left hand if you're naturally right-handed, or do something that demands you to think outside the box.
5. Be curious – Get into the habit of asking yourself 'why?' when going about your daily routine – and make sure you answer yourself.
6. Laugh – We all know laughing feels good, but according to research it's also good for our body and mind. When you laugh, you're releasing 'feel-good' endorphins into your body, so have a good belly laugh when your brain is feeling tired.
7. Eat lots of fish – The Omega-3 oils found in some fish and nuts is good for our brain, helping it to grow and be healthy. Have a fish supper one night a week, and substitute your normal daily snacks for nuts instead.

So why is it important to keep our brains healthy? Recent studies show that people who keep their minds active have a longer and healthier life. You'd be less likely to get dementia and other brain-related illnesses, including keeping your short-term and long-term memory for longer. Doing puzzles and many of the suggestions above will keep the brain growing and will spur on the development of new nerve connections and cells.

Create a mind-gym in a notebook – write down all of the things you can do to exercise your brain, and improve your mind. Try to do at least one thing a day from your mind-gym and see how much your mind improves.

Trying NOT to Turn into a Couch Potato

Okay, so I've been working from home properly for around a year now.  The most exercise I get is hoovering the house (which is an acceptable form of exercise, by the way).  But I'm the first person to admit that my figure has seen better days.
I've had five children to date.  After the first four, my body sprung back into shape within minutes, but that's because I was young and healthy.  After having my youngest daughter, my stomach has developed an unsightly sag and my backside, well, let's just leave it there.
The problem is that I sit in front of my laptop, or sewing machine for hours on end, every single day.  I can go weeks without even stepping foot outside.  My shopping gets delivered and the other half goes to the shops if needed.  Now that the sun has decided to make an appearance, I think it's time I get my body back into shape.  I have just bought a set of dumbbells, a pair of ankle weights, a skipping rope and an Urban dance workout DVD.  I spent the whole of this morning doing a Bollywood-style workout with weights strapped to my ankles. My eighteen month old daughter thought it was the funniest thing she had ever seen and I had to give up for laughing.
On the plus side, not only have I actually done some real exercise, but I've had a good laugh too!   

Free Advertising

One of the things that has struck me since becoming a published author is the lack of places to promote your books.  It seems that blocks are put in your way before you even begin to make sales.  Forums are banning any form of promotion, including Amazon.

Times are tough, and us writers should stick together.  That is why I am inviting any indie author to promote their book on this blog for free.  There are no terms or conditions, any genre and length is welcome.

If you would like to promote your book on this blog, just send me an email with the following:

• Author profile
• synopsis/blurb;
• jpeg of your front cover;
• link to your book.

As well as posting a blog entry promoting your book, I will also promote it via Facebook, Twitter and Google+

In the spirit of self-promotion, here's my book Secrets, Lies & Vodka Parties, now available on Kindle.

Endless Possibilities: How to Choose Your Next Big Idea

It's that time of year when I have to start writing my next book.  Normally I have the idea for my next book halfway through writing my last, so when it comes to January, all I have to do is a bit of planning and get writing.  This year was different.  I had no idea.
When I say I had no idea, I actually mean I had too many ideas, and I couldn't choose which one to develop. I normally write in the women's fiction genre, however this year, I decided to experiment with another genre.  This is where the problem lay.  I couldn't decide which genre to choose.
I decided that I needed to narrow down my options.

Here are the techniques I used to help me choose my next big idea:

• My reading list - I have always believed in writing what you like to read, so I narrowed my options down by selecting the ideas within my favourite genres.
• Index cards - I wrote each idea down on an index card and jotted notes on the back, detailing major plot points, character notes and research possibilities.  This helped me to weed out the ideas that didn't immediately grasp my attention, narrowing down my options further.
• The novel test - Some ideas aren't suitable for the novel.  They have to have the potential to carry the reader through approximately 100,000 words.  Any idea that doesn't might be more suited to the short story form, an article or even a poem.  To test whether my ideas had the legs for a novel, I wrote a rough outline, detailing what will happen in each chapter, and also writing ending possibilities.  Of course, these outlines will probably change dramatically once I start writing, and are only for the purpose of choosing my idea.

Once I had completed the novel test, I was left with two ideas, in two different genres; the first in a crime thriller series, and a dystopia novel, both of which had the legs for a decent sized book, and grabbed my attention from the start.  The crime thriller series required me to do a lot of research, as I don't know much about police procedure, and the dystopia novel required me to create a whole world before I started writing, so both ideas required a similar level of work.  So how did I choose?

Gut feeling.  The crime thriller novel has the potential for a series, which is always good from a business point of view.  I also fell in love with the main character, Adrian.  

How do you choose which ideas to develop?

Success!

At Crafted Creations UK, we have a new range that I'm very excited about.  It's the Fairy Garden Range.  I love anything to do with fairies, so I'm going to be very sad to sell any of this range!
At the moment, we have a set of Elven houses, and a Fairy Garden Scene comprising of two flowers, a tree, two leaves and a ladybird.  All of these items would look great in any room and can also be used as plant pot fillers.  I love them all, and over the next few weeks, I'll be crafting some more.
My hubby helped me to make this range and I've found that he's a lot better at the modelling than I am - So, I've made him my chief modeller, so I can concentrate on the painting.

We've had some success in our first month open as a business.  After chatting to other business owners on the Etsy forum, and moaning about only having four sales in my first two weeks, I was surprised to find out that many people wait 6-8 months before getting a single sale.  I've now stopped moaning and started celebrating, because we have been open for four weeks now, and we have made 7 sales.  It doesn't sound a lot, but when you learn of other Etsy sellers' stats, we've done extremely well.

Thank you to everyone for supporting us and lets hope we get more sales in the new year!

Crafted Creations UK

My shop, Crafted Creations UK is now open for business on Etsy.com.  I've worked my fingers to the bone the past few weeks, sewing and painting.  The results are the first lot of products for sale in the shop.


The main picture is of my Blossom Tree Cushion.  This is one of my favourite fabrics; bold, bright and simply beautiful.  The fabric is 100% cotton, smooth and hard-wearing.

 This tea cup and saucer (right) has been hand-painted with my blossom tree design.  I love painting this design.  It's therapeutic  just as tea drinking should be, and I hope that comes through onto the cup.

This vintage-style cushion is made with a designer, 100% cotton fabric and looks great in any room.  I love the simplicity and elegance of this cushion.

And finally, the Alice in Wonderland cushion.  I have this on my own sofa and have enough fabric to make a further 6 cushions.  But beware, once this fabric is gone, it's gone.
This whimsical cushion is great for letting out your inner child, yet looks elegant and stylish.  It looks fantastic on a sofa in the living area, or in a child's bedroom.


There are plenty more products on the website.  Check us out at CraftedCreationsUK.

CHRISTMAS SALE!  20% OFF EVERYTHING.  Use the coupon code: DISCOUNT20 at the checkout.

I've had lots of fun making these products.  I love them all so much and I hope this comes across in the items.  Keep checking the stock as new items will be added soon, including more cushions made with exciting, new fabrics, new tea cup and saucer designs and acrylic on canvas paintings.  I also have some vintage bags, brooches and jumpers due to arrive after new year.

Do you have an Etsy store?  Follow this blog and leave a comment below to promote your shop.  I love to chat to fellow Etsy sellers!

A Splash of Colour

We're decorating at the moment, and I've really surprised myself with the colour choices.  I'm normally a pastel-colour, 'play it safe' kind of girl.  When we decorated the living room last year,when we first moved in, I chose duck-egg blue with a dark teal feature wall.  I teamed that with silver, so even though it looks sophisticated and grown-up, it bores me.  I've rectified that in the past few weeks by buying lots of bright accessories.  Now, the living room is duck-egg blue and teal with hot pink, lime green and orange.  It really works because I've limited the bright colours to accessories.

We've painted the hallway hot pink.  I've never been a pink fan, and I was scared to death when I opened the paint tin.  However, it's turned out looking fantastic.  It's warm, inviting and luxurious.  I've chosen a black and white dandelion canvas print for one wall, and a multi-coloured  shanty town painting for the other.

My bedroom was a beige shell with no character.  Now, it's my favourite room!  I've wallpapered my back wall with a butterfly wallpaper from Debenhams (Pearl Flutterby Wallpaper by Julien Macdonald), and the other three walls are painted in Warm Blue.

One thing I've noticed now that the flat has more colour, is that I'm feeling more upbeat.  When I walk into my front room, I feel happy, lively and energetic.  When I walk into my hallway, I feel warm, loved and cosy, and my bedroom is so beautiful I have to pinch myself to remind myself that it really is mine!

Has anyone done any decorating this year?  I'd love to hear your successes, and perhaps some decorating horror stories...

The Importance of Time-Management

There's never enough hours in the day, is there?
For those of you that don't already know, I start my second Open University course next week: A215 Creative Writing.  The community forum opened the other day, and it's so exciting to see how many different, interesting people are doing the course this year.
I don't know what it is about this time of year, but I always get a massive influx of new editing clients.  Also, my new business venture, Crafted Creations opens next month.  The only way I'm going to be able to cope with the amount of work I have scheduled, is to be strict with my timetable.
My usual method of time-management is my diary, however I need a more visual aid to keep me on track.  I simply set out a timetable on a sheet of A4 paper, dividing the week into days, and the days into 'morning', 'afternoon' and 'evening'.  That way, I can still stay flexible with the time, but I know what I need to be doing at certain times of the day at a glance.
What is your most effective time-management strategy?

Beauty Products, Stress & A Migraine

Those of you that have suffered from a migraine will sympathise with me.  Those of you that have not, will probably think I'm the biggest drama queen ever.  A few days ago, I was pottering around the house, doing general housework.  All of a sudden, the right side of my head started throbbing, the room started spinning and I lost the sight in my left eye.  My body was completely uncoordinated and I was slurring my words.  My first thought was that I was having a stroke.  I rang my doctors and the receptionist told me to ring an ambulance straight away.  And what did I do?  I panicked.  I rang the bf, crying down the phone for him to come home from work at once, then I rang an ambulance.
The first thing the paramedic asked me when she came in was 'Have you ever had a migraine before?'  I felt like a proper plonker.
And what is one of the main causes of migraines?  Stress.  So, I've stopped working seven days a week, making a pledge to spend at least one day a week relaxing.
A bonus to having one day every week for relaxing is that I get to try all of the free samples of beauty products I get for reviewing.  If you would like to read some of my beauty product reviews, see my new blog 'Radiant Reviews'.

To Hell with the Plan

I had been wrestling with the same sentence all day, and just couldn't get it right.  I'm a quarter of the way through Reaching Out, and I have been struggling to stick to the plot that I've already planned out.  Then, the light bulb flickered.  I was obsessing over that one sentence because it didn't ring true to the story.  The plot that I had pre-planned didn't ring true to the main character, Anna, any more.
So, after two months of struggling to write the synopsis, I screwed it up and decided to wait until the book is complete.  It's more exciting to let Anna write her own story, rather than mine.  I can't wait to find out what she does next.
Another problem I have had with the book is getting to grips with the male character, Nick.
Nick is Anna's husband, who leaves her for a seventeen year old girl.  Up until now, he has been written as a bastard - and that's it.  Just a bastard.  I'm having problems identifying with him, and I feel I need to get to know him more.  My favourite way of getting to know my main characters is to write a daily diary for them.  I did it for Anna, and now, I think I need to write Nick's diary.  Seeing the story from his point of view will not only make the story more interesting, but also make him feel more like a 'real' person.  I might even post a few of the diary entries on here.

Where is Your Space?

My Writing Space for Today

Not everyone has their own office to retreat to for writing.  However, having your own space is essential.  It could be a corner of your kitchen table, or a small desk in the living room.  It doesn't matter where it is, as long as the people you live with respect that it's your space.
Despite having my own desk, I like to write sitting on the sofa or in bed.  I have a large, plastic storage box full of my writing books, pens, notebooks and art materials.  I can carry my tools around the house with me, which enables me to make anywhere my special writing place.  The box has become my own personal space.

Where is your space?

Back on Track, Too Much Coffee & Sleep Deprivation

The Back on Track series is out!  Saving at Home, Organisation at Home and Job Searching at Home contain information and tips to help you get back on track with your life.  The first in the series, Saving at Home is FREE tomorrow for one day only.  The series is accompanied by a website where you can find articles not included in the books and links to buy them.  They are priced at £1.97 each.
You can find the website here.
I've drank way too much coffee today.  Coffee makes me jittery anyway, but after six cups and probably triple the amount of fags, my nerves are shot.  I'm grinding my teeth so much, I'll be surprised if I have any left by tonight.  My jaw is aching and my eyes are stinging.  I've not slept properly for weeks now.  I've been surviving on little power naps throughout the day.  I tell myself that I'm just a 'night-writer', and I can't do anything about it, but I really need to get out of it.
What I need is a peaceful, long night's sleep.  I think twelve hours should do it.  Ha!  I'm kidding myself.  On a good night I'm lucky if I get four hours.
It's not just 'me' that's keeping me awake.  There's the bf for starters.  He sprawls all over the bed, nicks my pillows, snores extremely loud and talks nonsense.  Then there's Cody, my cat.  He likes to sleep all day and then go on a rampage at night.  He sprints around the flat, jumping up walls, onto door frames, in the bath, on the bed and back again.  He nicks the bog roll and rips it up all over my carpets, pisses in the bowl I use to rinse my hair and bites my feet any time I move an inch.  I've started poking him in the day to keep him awake now.  I just think myself lucky that my daughter sleeps a full eight-ten hours soundly through the night.  I don't think I could cope if all three of them were at it.

Saving at Home
Organisation at Home
Job Searching at Home

Handbag Must-Have's...

I hate spending money on 'girly' things (except shoes and bags).  However, I have an expensive taste for make-up and skin care products.  This can be problematic, but I've found a way of satisfying my expensive urges without resorting to credit card debt.
One of the solutions is Ebay.  A good tip is to bid for items a few seconds before bidding ends.  I recently won a make-up bag full of brand new No.7 products.  It contained two eyeshadows, a facial scrub, a body wash and eyeliner.  In the shops I would have paid nearly fifty quid for all that.  I got it for four pounds!
Another solution is to get free samples.  I'm signed up to nearly every beauty brand on the planet to receive free samples in return for feedback.  There's hardly a day goes by when I don't get at least one free sample through the post.  I'm addicted!  They make fantastic last-minute gifts if you forget someone's birthday, and are perfect for carrying around in your handbag.

My top five favourite handbag products are:

• Vaseline with Aloe Vera
• Nivea Creme
• Jurlique Moisturising Hand Sanitiser
• Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Volume Length Curl Separation Mascara - Noir
• Mac Select Moisturecover Concealer.

My all-time favourite product at the moment is the No.7 Radiance Revealed Exfoliator.  I've been using it for around two weeks now, three times a week.  My face feels supple and baby-soft.  The best thing about it is that it feels like it's moisturising your face while you scrub, and it smells so good!  You can buy it from Boots for around £8.00.

A Bit of Give & Take...

When I need some quiet writing time, I tend to let the bf play on his Playstation for a couple of hours.  I don't tell him I need the time to write.  I make it out as if I'm doing him a favour.  Here's how the convo might go...
ME:  'I suppose you want to go on the computer for a bit?'
BF:  'Are you sure?'
ME:  *shrugs shoulders and looks peeved* 'Yeah, I suppose I could think of something to do...'
BF:  'I won't if you don't want.'
ME:  'Give me a massage while I'm watching the soaps, and you can have an hour on the Playstation, deal?'
BF:  *looks grateful* 'Okay.'
Then I feel so incredibly guilty  Then I don't feel at all guilty.  I get a massage AND some quiet writing time.  Win win!
We have a lot of petty arguments.  Not the bad kind - the good kind.  The kind where we will scream at each other over something stupid (like him leaving the sock drawer open, for example), and I'll storm out of the room, slam the door and shout about how much I hate his guts.  Then, five minutes later he'll ask me what's for tea and all is normal again.  Yeah, we do that a lot.  Is that normal?
I think it does us good as a couple.  I mean, we get everything out in the open and have a good vent, then we love each other again.  It makes for some fantastic make-up's too, if you catch my drift...
Anyway, enough of that.  What I want to know is 'What makes a good couple?'  How do people live with each other for fifty plus years without ripping each other's heads off with their teeth?

Back on Track Series...

My new 'Back on Track' ebook series is out soon.  The series is made up of three short ebooks; 'Saving at Home', 'Organisation at Home', and 'Job Searching at Home'.
The idea for the series came to me after realising that I wasn't the only one in a financial pit of despair.  These three books will help you get your finances back on track, your home organised and help to get you that job you need.
Saving at Home is designed to help you streamline your finances.  The book will help you to find out exactly how much money is going out for bills and debts, and how much you have left over to spend.  There is a section on dealing with bailiffs, how to save money on your food shopping, and how to save money by hand-making things for your home.
Organisation at Home will help you to become a more organised person in the home, with everything from organising paperwork to cleaning schedules.
Job Searching at Home will help you with searching for a job, applying for the job and the dreaded interview.  There is a section on writing the best CV, cover letters and even interview techniques.
All three of the books have printable worksheets included to make your life a lot easier.
Keep an eye out for the series on Amazon at the end of September.

Liebster Blog Award

I have been tagged for the Liebster Blog Award!  Thank you 17hnak!

This award is given to upcoming bloggers with 200 followers or less.  The word Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome!

Here's the rules:

1) Each person must post 11 random facts about themselves
2) Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you tagged
3) Choose 11 people and link them in your post
4)Tell them you've tagged them
5) Remember, no tag backs

My 11 random facts:

1.  I meditate daily

2.  I'm half Irish, quarter Ukrainian and the rest English

3.  I love Stephen King

4.  I got married at nineteen

5.  I have five children

6.  I'm allergic to snow

7.  I eat too fast

8.  My metabolism is way too high

9.  I have 14 tattoo's

10.  I love food

11.  I'd love to be able to draw, but I can't.

My questions from 17hnak:

1.  Would you rather be too hot or too cold?  Too hot

2.  Would you rather be a superhero or a villain?  Villain

3.  Would you rather live in the country or the city?  Country

4.  Harry Potter or Twilight?  Twilight

5.  What is your favourite book of all time?  IT, Stephen King

6.  Do you prefer winter or summer?  Summer

7.  Which do you like better, movies or books?  Books

8.  PC or Mac?  PC

9.  Which do you prefer, horror or romance?  Horror

10.  What is your favourite sport?  Netball

11.  What is your favourite dessert?  Trifle, swimming in alcohol

Questions for people I'm tagging:

1.  Casserole or pizza?

2.  Cat or dog?

3.  Where is your favourite place in the world?

4.  Banana or cherry?

5.  Where were you when you had your first kiss?

6.  Run or swim?

7.  Car or bus?

8.  What is your favourite film of all time?

9.  Bath or shower?

10.  Have you ever stolen anything?

11.  Beach holiday or action holiday?

People I'm tagging:

The Writer Type

Maniac Mum

The Truth About Lies

Nick Wastnage

Writing about writing...

Jen's Peanut Gallery Musings

My New Notebook

The Beautiful Necessity

British Paintings

Poppy Talk

Writer's Blog

Rain

I love the rain.  I can sit for hours in the rain, getting soaked through and not care.  Why?  I don't know.  I hate any kind of cold weather, especially snow.  I'm allergic to snow.  Symptoms include flying flat on my face, blue fingers and toes, and flying flat on my face - A LOT.
But rain is cleansing.  There's nothing better than getting thrashed with rain, coming home to a hot bath and snuggling up with a cup of something warm.  It makes me feel like I've done something.  Like I've worked hard and now I deserve to be warm and dry.
There's something melancholic about watching the rain fall.  I love it when the sky just opens and the rain chucks down in bucket loads.  I love how it bounces off the roof tops and how it swishes around the sky when the wind is strong.
You can be anywhere in the world, and a rainy day is still just a rainy day.  The streets still smell musty, like rotting leaves, and the traffic still grinds to a halt. 

On Writing

I've been writing since I was in Year 4 of primary school.  I wrote a short story and my teacher read it to the class and showed it to my head teacher.  I was encouraged to keep writing, and I did.
When I entered secondary school I had the best English teacher I could have hoped for.  He was called Mr Armstrong and he encouraged me more than anyone ever has with my writing.  He gave me blank exercise books to fill with my stories and poetry, and even sent one of my Haiku to a competition, which won publication.  I never got to thank Mr Armstrong.  He left during the summer holidays one year.  I was devastated.  No other English teacher ever matched up to him.
So, I carried on writing.  My mum bought me an electronic typewriter for my 13th birthday, and I wrote a novella called The Storm Man.  I still have the original copy here and I read it from time to time, just to remember.  I used to sit on my bedroom floor at night and wait for my parents to go to bed.  I'd get my typewriter out, type my new chapter into the memory, and then put my duvet over the top of it so it could print.  It was extremely loud.  I never got caught though.
During the last years of secondary school, I'd bunk off lessons just so I could sneak into the library and get some writing done.  If I got caught, I'd write in the back of my exercise book in class so it looked like I was doing my work.
Writing has been my friend through some tough times.  When I was homeless, I wrote in one of my old school books.  When I was addicted to amphetamines, I copied out entire books and added my own endings.  When I got married and had children, I recorded every detail in my journals.  When my marriage broke down, when I was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, when I got my life back on track...  Writing has been constant.  Now, it's making me some money.  Not a lot, but some.
I love writing with all my heart.  It's a passion.  I love that serene thrill you get when the writing's going good.  When the words just pour out.  
Now, I want to teach writing.  I've just changed the degree I'm working towards with the OU.  I was doing a BA (Hons) in Humanities, specialising in history.  Now I'm specialising in Creative Writing.  I can't think of anything better than teaching my passion to someone else, and to have them love it just as much.  

Journal Writing

Recently, I've been doing a lot of journal writing, or what some people call stream of consciousness writing.  It makes for very difficult reading, but it's amazing how good I feel once I've gotten a few pages of stress off my chest.
The problem is, that I don't have a clue what to do with the writing I've produced.  I've read countless books on writing that suggest journal writing, yet I'm struggling with direction.  I tend to flit from one subject to another, without going into much detail, and I think I'm missing the point.
Isn't the point of this stream of consciousness writing supposed to be to go into detail?  To capture one moment in time and record all of your deepest thoughts, feelings and senses in that moment?
I know where I'm going wrong.  I started off with timed writing - ten minutes in the morning, and ten minutes before bed.  This just wasn't enough time though.  So, I upped my time to twenty minutes, twice a day.  This is producing a lot more writing, but instead of going into more detail, I'm just covering more subjects.
When I read what I've written, I'm not seeing any story ideas, no profound insights into my life or anything really other than random word diarrhoea.  THEN, I got it.  The point isn't to come up with ideas or understand yourself any better (although I've been told that both will happen sooner or later).  The point is just to write.  To practise writing.  Just to put words down on paper.
It warms up your writing muscles and gets all of the crap out of the way, so that when you get down to the real writing, all that is left it genius (I can hope, can't I?).
Now, I've upped my journal writing time to half an hour, twice a day.  I'm enjoying writing complete crap for an hour a day.

And to satisfy my need to capture the moment, and to write the detail, I've started writing Haiku.

*Message to my kids/grand kids - When I'm old and grey, and I inevitably leave this earth, if you by chance come across some notebooks with 'Journal' scribbled across the front - BURN WITHOUT READING!!!

Love Me - Love My Notebooks

I have a serious obsession with notebooks.  I have seven that I'm using at the moment, and I'm already making up excuses to buy some new ones.  There's something wonderful about opening a brand new notebook for the first time, smelling the fresh pages, writing those first few words...
I'm wondering, does the type of notebook you write in have any influence on what you write?  When I write in a formal, plain notebook with clean, straight lines I find myself writing a lot more formally.  That's why I use those types of notebooks for final drafts and letters.  When I write in a beautiful, flowery notebook with lots of white space (like the books pictured), I write more creatively.  I doodle and write words in patterns, brainstorm and play with words.  I find notebooks like those to be very useful for coming up with ideas and inspiration.  Brilliant for first drafts, because I don't feel confined to write within the lines, so I have the creative freedom to write whatever rubbish I like - good for editing later, I might add.
Notebooks are an essential to me as a writer.  I can't write anything straight onto the computer.  I need to write longhand.  I love the feel and smell of the paper, and the sound of the pen gliding across the page.  When it comes to using the computer, it is strictly for typing up what I have already written, and for editing.  Even while editing I write out my changes on print-outs of my work, and then make the changes on the computer.
I have a stash of notebooks under my bed - probably around 20-30 of them.  They are my old notebooks, some filled, some not.  They are full of my thoughts and ideas from the years that have passed.  Sometimes I amuse myself and read a few of them.  It's strange reading yourself think on paper, especially when it's from years ago.  I live a completely different life now to what I did five years ago, so when I read my notebooks it's like I'm reading someone else's writing.  It doesn't sound like me.  But that it where I find the greatest fodder for my writing.  I can look at my life events with fresh eyes and short stories, poems, and whole books jump out at me. 
I love my notebooks, just as I love writing.  What are your obsessions?

Yobs & Hooligans

I'm sat in the local park as I type this.  And I know it's been said to death, but parks are not what they used to be.  When I was a kid, I remember parks being fun places to be.  They were full of small kids running around without a care in the world, while their parents stood in one corner huddled round the fag bin.  Now, most parents are scared to take their kids to the local park.  It's full of graffiti and hooligan hoodies, and OMG are there a lot of them.  They're swarming the streets, parks, bus shelters, town centres...
I must be mad to be sat here typing away at my laptop, but hey, I like to look for the best in people.  Not all hoodies are hooligans.  I was one myself once (a hoodie, not a hooligan... yet that could be debated).  Just because an angry looking teen walks past me and peers at my laptop, it doesn't mean he/she's going to nick it.  (If I get robbed on my way home, I take all of this back).
What we need is for people to take notice of the kids on the streets and ask why they are there, spraying walls with graffiti and pissing up bus stops.  They are there because they have nowt better to do.  In my local area we have a sports centre, which prides itself on being somewhere for kids to go and have fun playing sports.  Yet, nearly all of the activities they have on charge fees.  What good is that if parents are skint?  I mean, I'd gladly pay three quid to get rid of a sulky teenager for a few hours, but times that by seven, and then by all of the ruddy school holidays they have...
So what do we do about all these teenagers roaming the streets?  I'd vote for bringing the work houses back.  Chuck 'em in at around 13 and make them work 24/7 until they're 18 (with time off only for studies, of course).  It'd install a bit of work ethic, wouldn't it?
All joking aside, it's something that isn't going to be solved anytime soon.  If us grown adults are finding it hard to get a job and pay our way, what chance have the teens got?
 

Arts and Crafts

I am setting up a business.  Crafted Creations will be an online store selling handmade, unique items for you and your home.

Product ranges will include cushions, candles, soaps, hand painted candle holders and vases, canvasses and picture frames. I will make each item completely individual, so there will only ever be one of each product. I will also be offering a bespoke service where you can get an item designed especially for you or to your own design.

The only problem is that I need 750 pounds to buy the supplies so I can make the stock.  I have set up a Crowdfunding pitch to try and get some people to invest in my vision.  There will be rewards for investing.

Rewards are as follows:

10 pounds – 50% off your first order at Crafted Creations.

20 pounds - A product of your choice from the site, absolutely free plus 25% off your first order.

50 pounds – A product of your choice, designed especially for you, or to your specifications plus 25% off your first order. Also, a link to your business on my website.

100 pounds - 2 products of your choice, designed especially for you, or to your specifications, plus 50% off all orders you make at Crafted Creations for 6 months. Also, a link to your business on my website.

Products and the online store will be ready approx 4-5 weeks after I have bought the supplies.

Please come and invest as little or as much as you can, and help a young mum achieve her dream!

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/investment/please-help-a-young-mum-achieve-a-dream-990

Win a Copy of Mommy But Still Me...

Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a writer who has lived in Qatar since 2005. She has a PhD from the University of Florida with a focus on gender and postcolonial theory. Her dissertation project was published as Haram in the Harem (Peter Lang, 2009) a literary analysis of the works of three Muslim women authors in India, Algeria, and Pakistan. She is the creator and co-editor of five books in the Qatar Narratives series, as well as the Qatari Voices anthology which features essays by Qataris on modern life in Doha (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2010). Her research has been published in numerous journals and anthologies.

She was the Associate Editor of Vox, a fashion and lifestyle magazine based in Doha and a winner of the She Writes We Love New Novelists competition. She has been a regular contributor for Variety Arabia, AudioFile Magazine, Explore Qatar, Woman Today, The Woman, Writers and Artists Yearbook, QatarClick, Expat Arrivals, Speak Without Interruption and Qatar Explorer. She hosted two seasons of the Cover to Cover book show on Qatar Foundation Radio.

Currently Mohana is working on a collection of essays related to her experiences as a female South Asian American living in the Arabian Gulf and a novel based in Qatar. She believes words can help us understand ourselves and others. Catch up on her latest via her blog or follow her on Twitter @moha_doha.

Win a copy of  Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar's Mommy But Still Me. 

Email jenni1607@hotmail.co.uk before Sunday 10 June 2012 with your name and address for the chance to win a free paperback copy.  I will choose the winner at random on Monday 11 June.

Blurb:  Imagine a man volunteering to trade in his game nights for heart burn and back ache. Good thing there are women around to ensure the survival of the species. This hilarious look at the journey from high heels to high blood pressure, as a jet setter turns into a bed wetter, is what your doctor won't tell you and your own mother may have forgotten in the years since she was blessed by your arrival.

Tour Schedule:

6-3 Blueberry Sky

6-5 Gale Stanely

6-9 My Friends Say I am Just Like June

6-13 Blog O’ The Irish

6-14 Infinite House of Books

6-15 Sugarbeat’s Books

 

http://www.mohanalakshmi.com/
www.facebook.com/themohadoha
http://www.blogger.com/www.youtube.com/themohadoha

http://authorservicesatthebistro.com/blog-tours-information/

Peace

So, I have a few weeks of down-time before I have to get on with my next writing project.  It feels like ages since I've had some time to relax.  So long that I can't think of anything to do.
I've got a long list of books that I want to get read, but I really fancy doing some creative writing.  You know, the sort of writing that doesn't actually have to lead anywhere.  I've been doing some creative prompts from a book called The Creative Writers' Workshop, on beginnings and endings.  I took five beginning sentences from random books and five end sentences from five random books.  I then used those sentences to do some timed writing, and I surprised myself.  I actually came up with some interesting characters and situations that I probably couldn't have done if it wasn't for the exercise.  At least two of those pieces of writing have planted the seeds in my mind for short stories.  But, I'm not going to write them yet.  These next few weeks are going to be for playing with words and being creative.  I'm going to get some work done on the allotment and let my mind wander. 
I've always been a mind wanderer.  The people that know me best will all tell you I'm away with the fairies most of the time.  But I like that.  It helps to deal with real life.

My recipe book 'Flavours from the Heart' is now FREE until 19th May 2012, so use the link on this page to grab yourself a free copy...

This blog is going to be part of the 'Mommy But Still Me' Blog Tour on 3rd June, so please pop by and show your support.

Thank you xx

Flavours from the Heart - Feed Your Soul...

My recipe book is now on sale on Amazon Kindle.  You can purchase a copy using the link on this page.

As a little taster, here's a sample recipe from the book.  I hope you enjoy!

Stir Fry for the Soul

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

2 chicken breasts, sliced

1 inch of ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice

Pinch of salt & pepper

1 red chilli, diced

½ an onion, sliced

Handful of mushrooms, sliced

4-5 Pak Choi leaves, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

Cooked noodles or pasta

Method

Heat the sesame oil in a large wok or frying pan. Add the chicken, garlic, ginger, chilli and onion to the pan. After 2-3 minutes, add the soy sauce and vegetables. When the chicken and vegetables are nearly cooked through (3-4 minutes), add the salt, pepper and lime juice. Serve in a large bowl with noodles or pasta.

Feeling the Guilt

These days it is very acceptable to be a working mum.  Of course, some of us are going to feel guilty - and that's exactly what I feel - Guilty.  It makes things worse that I work from home.  When I put my daughter in front of the telly, I feel as though I should be reading to her.  When I put the radio on, I should be singing to her.  When I give her one of her all-singing, all-dancing toys, I should be playing with her and teaching her nursery rhymes.  Instead, I'm sat at my desk typing or writing away, or on the phone.  If I worked at an office, I suppose I wouldn't feel as bad, even though I'd be spending more time away from her.
I try to do the bulk of my work during nap times, early mornings when she's asleep and late evenings, but that doesn't stop the guilt. 
A few weeks ago, my bf had to take my daughter for her second lot of injections, because I had a deadline looming.  That made me feel especially guilty.  I mean, I should have been there, shouldn't I?
I do spend a lot of time with my daughter, don't get me wrong.  We go out on day trips and I spend most evenings snuggled up with her on the sofa.  I do bath time and the night waking is shared.  But these days, what are we to do?  We stay at home and be a mother and get slagged off for raking in the benefits.  We go to work and get slagged off for shunting motherly responsibilities.  I love to work - I do what I love, so working is never a chore no matter how much I might moan, so I can't see myself giving up work to be a housewife.  It's just not in my nature.
I suppose guilt is just one of those things you have to get used to feeling as a parent.  You're always going to feel guilt for some reason.  You don't work - you can't afford to buy your little prince/princess everything they want.  You work - you don't spend as much time as you should with them.  It's a catch-22 situation.

2012: A Year of Reading

I have set myself a target this year of reading 24 books.  It's a small number, but equates to about 2 books per month.  I actually read more than that, and I am already ahead of my target, yet I think it's important for me to set myself a target.  Sometimes I get so involved in my writing that I actually forget to read.  I think it's important to read, especially when you are a writer, so this target reminds me to read all of the books I have wanted to read for a while.
I have a long list of books I want to read.  I am a massive Stephen King fan, and I've read most of his books, yet I still haven't read any of his Dark Tower series.  I am going to read them from the start this year.  Another book I have wanted to read for a while is Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.  I watched the film a few weeks ago and was extremely impressed.  If the film was that good, the book must be spectacular.


Have you set yourself a reading goal this year?  And, would you recommend any books you consider to be a 'Must Read' for my 2012 reading year?


(Keep an eye out for my recipe book Flavours From the Heart - Out on Amazon Kindle 08/05/2012).

A Shed of One's Own...

 I've been working hard for the past few weeks on my recipe book.  I didn't realise how hard writing it would be.  I know how I cook each recipe (with a handful of this, and a splash of that), but putting it into words for someone else to follow and understand has been a challenge.  I'm winning though, and the book 'Flavours from the Heart' will be out on Amazon Kindle at the start of May.
As I've recently said, we've just aquired an allotment.  When I found out I thought it couldn't get any better.  However, on our second trip down there we bumped into the guy that looks after the allotments, and he gave us a different plot.  It's in a more workable order, has a greenhouse right next door for our use (you can see this on the bottom picture), and is right next to the water supply and manure.  But, best of all, we have a large shed with space for a desk, and a fantastic view into the countryside.  I've got a feeling I'm going to be spending a lot more time away from home.