March Newsletter

Here we are again, another month almost gone, and I’ve updated my picture.

Exciting news, on Thursday 30th of the month, my pocket novel, Barbados Nights will be available to buy in Asda, Tesco’s, W.H Smiths, and all good newsagents. If you see one and have your mobile handy, would you mind doing a shelfie for me please? Or a selfie if you’d rather.

Thanks to my readers who have kindly being buying my books. Its always a treat and real surprise when I check and see some sales. Usually when I think it’s time to go and get a daily job ~ then again, my daily job is home where the heart is ~ doing things that make me happy. Like spending time with loved ones and creating:- whether it be a rustic garland to the front of the house, planting seeds, reading or even writing. I do actually sit at the keyboard and get engrossed in my latest story after thinking about what happens next.

Barbados Nights

If you’re thinking of writing a pocket novel, it’s a great way to test yourself and if you can write 50,000 words, My Weekly or 45,000 People’s Friend, then have a go.

The best way to get to know what they’re looking for is to take out a subscription. That way you’ll know what characters and places have been recently written about, and do something different.

Hope you like my story if you get to read it.

It’s about a girl called Clementine, who has a great singing voice, but doesn’t have much confidence although she has a dream to sing on the pitch for the Welsh rugby team one day.

Then one night just before Wales pay the All Blacks in ~Cardiff, she’s due to sing the anthem, in the Club Evan Bach. As she starts to sing, ex-Olympian, Blaize Armstrong walks in….

Her heart goes, boom, and… well, you’ll just have to buy it if you want to know what happens next. It’s good, though I say so myself.

Adios Amigos, and have a great Springtime.

If you’d like to see more of my books,

have a look here.

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Enjoy the moment

Hope you’re all getting time to relax and catch up with family. That’s what I like best about this time between Christmas and New Year. Reflecting on how it’s been. For me it’s felt like and endless year, and things that happened a couple of months ago, seemed like much longer than that.

Now, it’s coming to the end of 2022, I’m quite glad to be getting used to not going out to work in a 9 – 5 job, and being a full time writer. I’ve always worked for myself in one way or another, so it’s great to have more time to get all my ‘stuff’ tidied up and organised, which is turning into a job in itself, me being one who takes a bag of books to the charity shop and comes back with another few more.

Looking forward to March when my latest pocket novel will be on the shop shelves. And still getting into the habit of writing every day, whether on the keyboard, or with pen and paper, my preferred way. Somehow it feels more like it’s real if the words have gone into a written form first then to keyboard, even though it takes longer, the end result comes quicker.

Enjoy a country walk, coffee and chat with a friend, or throwing the ball for your four legged friend. Living in the moment can make us realise that small moments in time will become memories for the future. For anyone caring for loved ones, hold them tight, tell them you love them. Don’t have regrets, be positive and enjoy everything you have now. Todays moments are tomorrows reflections.

When you find an old shelf, and it changes into a guitar, rock stars are go

Filler items/reader’s letters

There was a time when you could always find a magazine that published filler items. I started off writing a letter to Woman’s Realm. We had some giant thistles in the garden. I sprayed them gold and silver and used them as Christmas decorations. That gave me my first cheque for my writing £5. It was the start of having lots of little snappy bits of news published in a whole range of magazines.

I’m on a mission to see if we can still get these fillers accepted and are there any magazines that bother to pay writers’ for them anymore? Maybe with Twitter and Facebook, they have a ready harvest of fillers for free.

What do you think? Do you miss the fillers, or the steady flow of income they used to provide? Or have I forgotten about them. Hobby magazines are full of bits and pieces, I’ll let you know how I go on.

A card I made for a friend, the one on the right:) before I got my score and cut board. They’re a bit more level now.

Looking for fairies and tropics has arrived plus a great giveaway.

There’s nowhere like Warwickshire when the bluebells appear in the woodlands. Ann and Sophie have the same thoughts on a warm sunny April afternoon. Sophie is on the hunt for fairies.

You never know when they may appear and glad to see she found them. Good to see magic in the air. Hope you’re enjoying the Easter break and doing things you enjoy.

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, so to make up for that I’m doing a giveaway. Not one or two but three of my Redington paperbacks to give you some great sunshine reading. It’s a collection of short stories set in Norfolk, a mixture of happenings and characters to keep you entertained for a while. Obviously if you’ve read the book you wouldn’t want another one, so only for people who haven’t already got one can apply. Just pop a comment saying why you’d like one, and good luck if you have a go.

Other great news is my tropics skin-care storybook has arrived. It’s called the story book of skin care as it’s adapted to what you need. Here’s mine on the right, and a tropical day in Torquay on the left.

The complete boxed set has cleanser, toner, moisturiser, green serum for lovely skin, face mask full of natural products, see more here.

They really work well and if you want to know more about that, let me know and I can put you in touch with Ann, who will give you more information.

Enjoy the weekend, and get your name in the comments box if you’d like a free signed copy of my book.

In the Garden

 

Having a relaxing Sunday in our garden. Me and Alan have been enjoying some quiet time smelling the flowers and doing not much other than having a chat and dinner on the courtyard round the back.

 

            Can you see how much I love petunias?

 

 

Alan’s off to the back yard after looking around our colourful borders. There’s a table waiting in the Courtyard Café.

Whatever you’ve got planned this week, have fun and don’t forget to smell the flowers.

 

RNA Conference in Leeds

Me with Carol and Linda after lunch

Had a great time on Saturday in Leeds meeting up with other romantic writers. Glad to meet Jan again as well. Such fun to find my Robinson Crusoe pocket novel in the goody bags, and on the table in the reception area. Now I’ve got lots of plans to get on with the writing, and an article to write on one of the talks I went in to. Such lovely weather we’re having, makes you want to keep drinking something cool.

Great to meet up with my pocket novel editor, Maggie Swinburne and join the lecture on writing pocket novels. Really interesting, and learned a lot. All of the talks were excellent, and lots of people must have worked hard to put it all together.

I had the bag, as well as the tee shirt, well they say it’s all about promotion, nothing like having your book on your front.

Did I mention I have a pocket novel out? Yes I did, alright then, off to write the next one. Have a great week and thanks Jan Jones and the RNA for a great event at the weekend. Thanks, John for taking the photos of us.

Her Own Robinson Crusoe

This is what I’m off to read in the garden under the umbrella of course. It’s still hot here in Warwickshire, but before long I’ll be taking the plane journey with Serena off to the Caribbean. Better get a cool drink to go with it. It’s in the shops today.

Sophie had good news today as well, she got her first swimming certificate. Well done, little swimmer and  hope it’s the first of many.

She looks as proud as Grandma with her books doesn’t she? Well done, Sophie.

 

 

 

Setting the scene

Following on from a recent holiday, I’m now starting on a story set somewhere warm. Let’s face it, we’re in the middle of a heat-wave so you don’t need to go far really, but I want a lovely blue ocean, and sandy beaches where music plays on into the evening.

There will be plenty of music in the story, like the lovely Caro Emerald song below.

Can you tell this blog post is to get me back on track with the writing? Had such a lovely relaxing day, it was like being on holiday all over again. Have a great week, whatever you may be doing. And don’t forget to look out for this in the shops on Thursday. I might have mentioned it already, but you know how we have to shout about these things.

 

More promoting

I’m getting into this promoting lark now. So I’ve been working on my website as it’s been neglected for a while. No excuses not as I have more news to tell you, and I think there might be an option to sign up to a newsletter on the front page of the website. Still working it out, so if you sign up and hear nothing, fear not, it’s just me working it out.

Following on from last post, there’s been a review in prices of the Writers’ key rings. Talking to the boss it turns out that I got the prices wrong, not the only thing this week, but that’s another story. Details will be on a Facebook page where you can see the more generous offer. Now I’m busy making up key rings with my own book covers and watch out for some fab giveaways on here very soon.

It’s football fever around here and well done to England with that great win over Panama earlier, but not sure Panama knew the rules. Did you see all that dancing and hugging going on?

Her Own Robinson Crusoe will be in the shops on 12th July, but I’m sure I’ll be reminding you before then as I’m so excited and can’t wait to see it on the shelves in Asda. The cover is really lovely and just how I imagine the heroine Serena to look.

Have a great week and enjoy the lasting sunshine but don’t forget the hats and sun cream.

 

Catch up with Rosemary

                                        

It’s my great pleasure to welcome another of my writing buddies onto the blog today. Rosemary Kind is editor of Alfie dog fiction site, where you will find lots of lovely short stories and books for download. Rosemary is also co-author with Patsy Collins of From Story idea to Reader. Looking forward to hearing about Swanwick as well.

First of all, I’d like to hear more about New York Orphan. I am lucky as I got to read this when it was an idea… Maybe you need to write, from novel idea to reader. Now look at me, I haven’t even offered you a cup of tea. Let’s put the kettle on, and get you one of my Caribbean nutty cakes and tell me how Daniel and his friends are going on…

Help yourself to a cake or two.

New York Orphan is proving wonderfully successful for me. It’s far from being my first book, but all of a sudden readers are starting to find my work and it’s been very exciting. I was used to my books selling steadily but in relatively low numbers. Starting to find them selling in hundreds and dare I say it thousands rather than tens, is just an amazing feeling. I keep having to pinch myself.
I put my heart and soul into the book and even editing it was moved by the story I’d written. Having readers on both sides of the Atlantic feel the same way is very special.

It’s brilliant and I’m so proud to have read it early on, and I have heard a rumour that there will be a follow up. The cover image is a credit to the artist as well. And what’s going on at Swanwick? I’ve heard lots of people say it’s a great place to go. Can you tell us a bit more please? Go on, have another cake, they’re practically sugar free.

I’m very much looking forward to the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School in August. I went for the first time two years ago, in some trepidation. I’m never at my most comfortable with large groups of people and the thought of a whole week terrified me. What I had not thought about was the sort of people that would make up that group. As many other writers are very similar in character to me, it turned out to be the easiest company and very enjoyable. The creative energy is amazing, and I came away not only energised but making very clear to my husband that I would be going back the following year… and the next one…
So, here I am on year three and it is one of the highlights of my year. I’m running a workshop on Publishing this year so I can share what I’ve learned over the years with other writers.

That’s really good news, and makes me think I should be going there, if it weren’t for so much editing and writing to get on with I would definitely be joining you. Maybe one year soon. Thank you so much for popping in, and good luck with the workshop. Toodles for now, and talk again soon. xx

You can find out more about Rosemary and her writing here.

http://www.rjkind.co.uk

http://www.alfiedog.me.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/rjkind