Weeeellll, my free little collection of short stories is currently number 1 in one of the categories Amazon have placed it in. You can download it (for free) here.
I’m number 1!
Vivlio
Do you use Vivlio? If so, you can download lots of my short stories, including this free one.
We have our new office!
After many setbacks and delays, our office is finally finished. I don’t recommend Sharps Fitted Furniture, unless you actually enjoy stress and being constantly let down, when it comes to supplying what you paid for. However, thanks to Simon the fitter who worked really hard to get the job done, we’re pleased with the result.
Back in the van
No, we’re not on another trip, and I haven’t run away from home. The office fitter (Simon) is back. You can glimpse his white van in the photo and he has two sugars in his tea, so you know he’s the real deal! Hopefully Sharps will finally get it right, and send the worktop we ordered, so Simon can finish the job.
The kettle, teapot and tea bags are always on board. I brought in milk and a cup from indoors (it’s bigger than the van mugs), so if I don’t get any work done, I’ll need to get creative with my excuses.
Writing in Writing Magazine about magazine writing
I have an article in Writing Magazine about writing for womags (women’s magazines). The piece even gets a mention on the cover.
I do like being a cover girl. According to the blurb for the article, I’m also an expert!
Roses, roses, roses
Here are a few of the wonderful roses at Mottisfont Abbey gardens in Hampshire, England. This is our nearest National Trust property, so we go fairly often. It’s beautiful and romantic. I’ve already set a short story there (which is included in this collection). Now I’m thinking it would be a great location for a scene in one of my cosy crime novels – it’s even closer to Little Mallow than to our home.
Towel Day
Did you know it’s towel day next week? I did, but only because my friend Sheila Crosby suggested it as a subject when I was putting together my collection, Days To Remember. It’s not actually in the collection, as by then I had enough stories, but I wrote it anyway and it’s in the current (special bumper issue) of Woman’s Weekly.
Perhaps I’ll do another collection of stories about special days and include it in that?
More views
It’s all about POV
When writing, it’s important to choose the right point of view (POV) from which to tell the story. That’s something I’m currently trying to decide on for book 5 in my Little Mallow cosy mystery series. Yes, I know I’m supposed to be writing book 4, and I am – but with a series you have to plan ahead.
Here’s an illustration of what I mean by POV, and how picking the wrong one can spoil a story. Gary and I are currently on Islay. It’s our first visit, and we enjoy travelling on ferries, so you can imagine how excited we were seeing this view from the mobile writing retreat – our campervan called R’ten.
The story just then would have been the same from R’ten’s POV.
Gary and I then went to explore the ship (the Isle of Islay), have a yummy cooked breakfast on board and enjoy the scenery. It was interesting for us, and included details I’ll probably eventually use in fiction.
R’ten might have guessed what we were doing, but she didn’t know, wasn’t able to join in and all she could see the whole time, were the bow doors inches from her nose. That wouldn’t have made a great story, would it?
What I’ve learned
… when photographing wildlife, is that it’s important to blend into your surroundings, to avoid startling the animals.
What do you think that squirrel is thinking?