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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February Newsletter

Hello everyone, hope your journey into springtime is going well. The year is zipping along, and what possessed me to tell you last month that I read a book a month. More than that now I come to log them down.

Finished dinner lady detectives, a Christmas pressie from sister Sal, and also read a great charity shop find, The Flower Girl Cockney saga by Maggie Ford. Set during 1902-5 and great atmospheric writing with pea soupers, and horses and carriages. I will definitely be looking for more from this great writer. One I’m looking out for is Rag and Bone Girl. Also downloaded on my kindle is The Girl from the Workhouse by Lynn Johnson. Set a little later on, and in the potteries region.

For uplifting reading, I’m going through Think and grow rich by Napoleon Hill. I knew I’d read this before, and then spotted it in my parents bookcase. Great for getting in the mindset for creative thinking and positive thinking as well. And today Dolly came through the letterbox, well, through the front window actually as the postie was about to go through the gate and up the alley, so I opened the window and Dream more, by Dolly Parton landed.

Apart from her brilliant song writing and singing, she’s someone to admire, and this book is all about her reading library for children. Getting children everywhere to read. And lots of funny little quotes and messages from the lady who has the best voice ever and personality to match, not to mention great in every way. So that’s on my list for this month. On my kindle is A Penny dip Meg Hutchinson’s autobiography. It’s great so far, so that’s in the February list.

On my list for the rest of this month is Sara Davies – We can all make it – autobiography of my favourite dragon, from the den. I love how she’ll say, in her warm Northern accent; ‘I haven’t a clue about this business, bur a like you! Then she does he charming smile and they know she’s with them on their pathway of dreams.

Re reading my own Murder in the Village, and loving it – well you have to blow your own trumpet don’t you? I often dip into How to make a living as a writer, by James Scott Bell. It’s like a writing bible, and always puts me in a great mood for writing.

All this reading, including crystal reiki healing, you might wonder if I’m doing any writing. Yes is the answer to that. I’m on chapter 8 of one chapter 4 of another and gathering notes for a non fiction. And, I am diary writing every day. Sometimes things in life aren’t quite how we’d like them to be. As long as we do our very best in any given situation, and tell our loved ones how much we love them every day, if we can, then things are a lot brighter. Putting all thoughts into a diary, often help so that you can really write down how you’re feeing about a situation, and don’t go saying things you might not want repeating.

I’ve also completed a complicated jig saw where they give you the picture and you have to guess what happens next!! Trouble brewing was the title where a hen do and lots of others were having a tour of a brewery. The finished item had an explosion which saw the hens in a dingy of brew, drinking through a straw, the tour guide hanging from a rail and everyone looking shocked. Don’t mind one a year of those, but great to be back reading and writing. More news next month. And my latest pocket novel will be on the shelves midway through March.

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.

A story for the weekend

 

This is the story that won Eddie Walsh’s final Emerald competition. Theme: – Nobody will ever know. I came first from 65 entries, so I was thrilled as you can imagine. It’s been a while ago, but it’s a story I’m proud of and thought you might like to read it.
When the cheque for £65.00 arrived it was a real treat especially as it came on my birthday as well. Eddie, told me that he read so many stories with bodies under the patio, that it was good to read something different. So, remember, when entering any competition, write about the most way out thing you can. It will get you noticed, if nothing else.

It’s a shame about Cliff and Binky, I think they would have had some good adventures as the house-sitters with Herbert, and even done a bit of sleuthing. I’m now going to work on a series of stories with the two of them.

They met at university in the sixties. Cliff was a vegetarian, that’s why Binkie was always with him. He loved animals, and did a lot for animal welfare, so it was a sad ending for him. Hope you enjoy the story, I wrote it while on holiday in Brixham. So, I think we should have another holiday so that I can write another winning story:

One of my summer projects is to publish a collection of my short stories to keep them all together and so that I can have a clean up with my files and get rid of lots of folders that are gathering dust but ones I don’t like to part with. Title will be The House-Sitters and other stories.

 

 

The House-Sitters

“Hey Cliff, I’ve let the canary out of the cage for a bit of a fly around the conservatory.”

“I wish you’d said, then I could have shut the Jack Russell out.” A flash of white fur dived onto the back of the rattan settee, and in one gulp, swallowed a mouthful of yellow feathers. Herbert and Cliff watched in horror as Binkie coughed and spluttered before smacking his lips in appreciation.

“My God Herbert, I can’t believe that. He’s eaten the canary!”

“We’ll have to cover this up Cliff. Nobody will ever know. We’ll say we left a window open, then the bird flew out.” Herbert bit on his lower lip as if to convince himself it could pass for the reason the cage was empty of canary.
“Blasted dog.”

Cliff turned, “I’ll go and feed Monty his rats. When the instructions said, three of them, did it mean daily or weekly do you think?” Herbert frowned, then ruffled his thick mop of white hair.

“Not sure, I threw him one in yesterday. I haven’t much idea on the diet of a python.”

“Me neither. We haven’t had one of those before have we?” Cliff made his way to the shed where a cage of live rats with pink piercing eyes darted with fear, or maybe anger, Cliff wasn’t sure. He made a grab for one of them by its tail. Binkie gnashed his teeth, trying to grab the wriggling rat from Cliff’s grasp.

“Blast you Binkie.” He tried kicking the dog to one side. “You’ve caused enough trouble for today. Move away.” Cliff opened the door to the spare room where Monty the enormous python languished across the top of a dusty bookcase. Hurling the screeching rat across the room towards the snake, Binkie flew like chalk dust onto the big grey rodent. Cliff just happened to see the rat clasped in the jaws of the dog when an even swifter move was made by the snake. For a few seconds he froze in time; to see Binkie’s head, body, then legs disappearing down the jaws of Monty.

“Herbert, come quick!” Cliff grasped Binkie’s back legs and tugged as hard as he could on the only remaining part of the dog that hung out of those elongated poisonous, fang sucking lips that opened even wider to pull in dog, hands, arms then head of Cliff.

Hebert entered the room just in time to see his friend being swallowed alive with one last gulp. With that final suck, Monty had feasted on canary in dog, with rat in jaw, followed by one slightly tough, though tasty all the same, human being.
As he shivered uncontrollably, Herbert could see the shape of Cliff lying inside the snake. Slowly closing the door on the horrific scene, he whispered to himself.

“Nobody will ever know.” The Peterson’s were due back in the morning. Herbert needed to act fast. They never left true contact details, always best to give false ones. He picked up the phone and booked a flight. “Thank you, first class travel to South Africa will be perfect.”

Photo by Osmar Vasques on Pexels.com

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

Promoting your books

Promoting your books is essential if you want to sell them, and of course we do. Thanks to my Australian readers who have bought Redington on kindle lately by the way.

What better way to advertise than having a key ring attached to the zip on your bag, or to give as gifts when readers enter competitions on your blog or website.

I’m busy making key rings and fridge magnets, and as well as having family photos, vintage black and white pictures and pets in the picture, writer’s book covers came to mind.

Looking at those pictures really does make you want to read the book doesn’t it? And do you recognise any of the names and titles on there?

Prices for key rings and fridge magnets are £5.00 each

5 or more items = £20.00

10 or more items = £30.00 then £3.00 each thereafter.

Postage will be added depending on the amount ordered.

Tote bags and mugs to follow.

Find me on Facebook here, where you can contact me via private message with details of anything you might want. Please allow a week for the order to be processed.

https://www.facebook.com/suzydoodling

I’ve been making up hanging baskets today as well. Along with preparing for the Romantic Novelist’s Association Conference in Leeds next month. Looking forward to speaking with special people. More news on that later. Have a good week, whatever you’re up to. Isn’t this sunny weather bliss?

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

 

 

 

 

 

Pocket Novels

I’m a pocket novelist for My Weekly, and proud to say another one will be published soon. It’s set in the Caribbean, will let you know as soon as it’s here.

Great to see family members today, Ann and Sophie called, then our Son and his dog bounded in, and lovely to see them all.

                

Knitting is another pastime that I find helps with relaxing, not that I need an excuse to sit down and watch something funny on t.v. Rising Damp is on, and for me good comedy doesn’t date. Same as Larry Grayson who was on the night before. He was a local celebrity in our area, coming from local town of Nuneaton.

My day job is now making badges and key rings, also putting words on tee shirts. Can’t wait to put book covers on key rings, and more news on that coming soon. Have a great week, however you’re spending it.

 

 

 

Latest news

Here’s what’s coming soon, and there will be a giveaway on the blog, so watch out for that.

Looking forward to the RNA conference in July, and meeting up with other pocket novelists and romatic authors.

I’m busy writing my next story, which hopefully should be finished before long. I’m on chapter 10 of 15, and if you’d like a taster… of course you would, then here it is…

___________________

“I don’t feel guilty for keeping you here; you should be working, but I’m selfish and you wanted to know more about life in the Caribbean, so let’s compromise.” Broderick took her hand and smiled. “How about if I show you some of the more interesting parts of the island, and then later on, I’ll cook while you relax.” He pulled her towards him. “You’re fun to have around.” He laughed, “That’s when you’re not crowning my friends over the head with breakfast plates or spiralling yourself over the edge of my hammock and landing in heap on the grass.” Broderick stifled a laugh and offered his arm.

Serena forced her thoughts away from the beach, and linked her arm through his. “Don’t fret too much, you’re hardly keeping me prisoner. I could have gone back over to Neptune, and maybe I should have, because the longer I stay here, it’s as if…” She didn’t want to say it, but the island of a thousand shells was beginning to grow on her enormously and now that Agwe had taken the children back to the small-holding for a salad lunch with Daniel, she was all alone, with her own Robinson Crusoe.

__________________________

Hope that makes you want to know more. It does me, so I’d better get on and finish it.

The garden is looking fab, and we have lettuce quite often, but a bowl of chips pops in with it now and again. There’s flowers on the tomato plants and mini cucumbers on the mini-munch variety. Our little grandaughter loves to help water them and is our number one tester of strawberries. She has to eat at least six or seven to see if they’re suitable for the rest of us.

Enjoy the sunshine and more garden photos when the sunflowers are out.