My Life as a writer - When I'm not scribbling

In life we are bombarded with images and sales pitches on things we should want, aspire to have, save up for or buy immediately. Sometimes it's nice to take a step back from all this and just appreciate what we have and find ways to enjoy life that do not add to financial stress etc. Anyway, I was thinking about the things in life that mean the most, I enjoy the most or simply make me feel safe, comfortable, confident, and a lot of them are just simple things.   So I guess there's some truth in simple things can mean the most. Here are my top five simple things; 1. Going for a walk with my dog Hero Hero is my baby, he's an amazingly intuitive dog, he's loving, he's cuddly, he's soft and he's always by my side.  He's also infuriating when it comes to the ten minutes before his walk time - oh I swear he doesn't need a watch he can tell the time and he has an unhealthy interest in cushions - which somehow always end up in my garden. I oft

I know a lot of people invest heavily in handbags - I'm not one of those people, I tend to change my bag a lot, and well I don't want to pay thousands of pounds for something I take to my day job where it may well get damaged.  But I do like to have nice bags! I 've discussed in an earlier post what my style is so when it comes to bags it should be no surprise that my current bag is quite a classic shape.  Granted it has the pompom flash of fun but other wise it's a classic black tote. So, what's actually hiding in there; 1. My purse My current purse is from Fiorelli and is black and cream.  I like this one as it has a lot of spaces for my cards and a clear pocket where i keep a photo of my parents which I like to have with me all the time - since I lost my dad this is a precious keep sake. 2. My Phone Like most people my phone is never far away from me.  I'm currently using an I Phone, which I love as it connects me to my network of laptop, PC a

I've been seeing and reading a lot of things lately about Hygge, which I've heard described as the feeling or mood created by taking genuine pleasure in the simple things in life.   There's  pictures of cosy knits, warm drinks, soft materials, books and baking. I think the concept of Hygge is a beautiful one from what I've read so far, it's something I plan to read more on in the coming months. From what I gather I think a lot of us have higgle in our lives maybe we just don't realise that that is what it is.   I can look back over things my grandparents used to do, like sitting together of an evening reading their books in front of the fire and eating freshly baked cakes or treats.  They just enjoyed those quiet moments together and if they were stressed it wasn't something I ever saw, I saw the quiet relaxed moments and maybe that's what Hygge was for them. Anyway, I was looking at the pictures of some of the beautiful cakes and biscuits and star

If you're like me, it may have taken you a while to figure out your signature style with a few missteps along the way.    When I was a child I didn't really go in too much clothes, make up on the other hand was a staple from a young age a tool to hide behind.   In a way make up is still a mask for me, but not in the sense of hiding myself any longer I use make up to find the best version of myself. The same goes for my clothes, it took a long time for me to become comfortable in my own skin and therefore comfortable in the clothes I wanted to wear and to become comfortable with what suits me.  I'm now thirty something, so the experimental  clothing of my early twenties is over.  I've changed my look several times over from the colour and style of my hair I've been brunette, red head and blond.  I've adjusted my makeup from the influence of my youth the colours of the 80's when I was first learning to put on make up - I remember a lot of blue eyeshadow

There's nothing better than the smell of fresh baking.  I love to bake and I love to try new things.  This is a recipe I've been playing about with this idea from Sainsbury's since Christmas for a mid morning pick me up. You will need:  Puff Pastry - ready rolled is ideal  Jam / Mincemeat - for the filling - as you play with the recipe there are loads of other things you could use  Cinnamon - around two table spoons (for sweet toppings)  Sugar - around two table spoons (for sweet toppings)  You can use any filling/topping you like - for example tomato and cheese (probably a hard cheese like parmesan would be best) to create a pizza like twist.   Step one  Preheat your oven to around 180 degrees  (fan) 200 degrees   Pepare a a baking sheet with grease proof paper - you can at a push use the paper that comes with your pasty  Mix the cinnamon and sugar together - you can keep this in a bowl or as I do put it in a dispenser like and unused

Everybody loves a good sale, there's some kind of chemical reaction that gives you pleasure when you find a bargain.    Sales are starting earlier nowadays, you no longer have to wait with bated breath for 26 December to dawn and go rushing out at silly o'clock in the morning to be first in line to grab your deals.  Believe me having worked a couple of Boxing Day sales and having seen people queue from 2am on Boxing Day until stores would open at 5am, I am never surprised by peoples interest in grabbing a bargain. However, this year I would say I have been a selective sale shopper.  I haven't purchased any clothes mainly because I did buy a few bits in pre Christmas sales and so didn't need anything.  I also made a promise to myself to be more careful with my pennies in 2017.   That being said I have purchased a couple of items;  Jewellery  My style when it comes to Jewellery is more classic and sparkly.  I can be a bit of a jewellery magpie I'm attr

Happy New Year!  It's the start of 2017, the first page of this years blank book, what will you write on yours? Last year I set myself some 'resolutions' which in the most part I achieved.  So here I go for 2017 planning what I want to achieve this year; Writing Related Goals & Resolutions   Lets start off with the love of my life - my writing. 1. The Poppy Garden Last year I wanted to finish my novel The Poppy Garden and publish is for Remembrance Day, which I did, so this year in relation to this book project I will work on Marketing and promoting it to as many readers as possible. This book is a personal one for me, if you've read my blog before you know it comes from my Grandfather's personal dealings with PTSD, it's probably the hardest thing I've ever written and was a true labour of love. As an independent author the marketing and promotion is all down to me so I need to work on a strategy for that this year. 2. A New Proje

I haven't posted much lately, I've been rather busy with the marketing for my new novel The Poppy Garden, setting up The Poppy Garden Appeal to raise money to provide care for service personnel and finishing up with my day job for Christmas. Now it's time to sit back relax and enjoy a Christmas movie or two - it would be rude not to.  So here on the eve of Christmas Eve are my top five Christmas moves. 1.  Holiday Inn  Bing Crosby Singing White Christmas My all time favourite Christmas movie is Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn.  Produced in 1942, staring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and featuring my favourite Christmas song, 'White Christmas'.  I remember sitting with my Grandfather on cold, probably rainy Saturday afternoons watching old movies while toasting marshmallows by the fire, this became one of my favourites.  My Grandfather also had a similar look to Bing Crosby so I think that memory always warms the heart especially at Christmas. The movie

I'm a writer - but what does that really mean?   I tell stories, but where do they come from?  I've always been obsessed by stories, ever since I was a child. If I wasn't reading them I was writing them or acting them out.   If there wasn't a story in my collection I wanted to read then I made it up and told it to myself.    As I got older I started writing ideas down and then slowly they evolved in to books or screenplays.   The book I'm publishing next month is something different for me.   I think it's the first time in my life I've told a story with out some kind of twist or mythic/adventure element.   It's the first drama I've ever written and it's probably going to be one of the most personally important books I'll ever write.   I started this project two years ago - I know that's a long time to be working on one book.   But I had to get it right, because its for someone very special.   I spent a great deal of my ch