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.

Advertisement

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.

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

 

Murder in the Village

I’ll keep it simple… if you’d like a free signed copy of my latest book all you have to do is leave a comment. Why you’d like it would be a good thing to know. My mum has her copy and can’t wait to read it, and my favourite aunties have theirs lined up as well. And not forgetting Alan’s aunt who was asking on the phone if I have any more books for her to read. It’s lovely when family members actually like the stories and want to read more.

Now I am working hard to get the latest story I’m working on finished. And if you’d like to read one of my short stories, it’s in this weeks issue of My Weekly on the coffee break page near the back. This is a proud moment for me as I used to send my stories to My Weekly years ago, and looking back, I can see why they weren’t quite right… but that’s another story. Have a great week, and garden photos coming soon.

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…

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“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.

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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.

Anyone for lettuce?

We’re fully stocked with salad leaves. At the moment it’s all year round lettuce, spinach and rocket leaves available in the kitchen garden. And growing on we have yellow courgettes, mini munch cucumber, tomatoes, money maker are my favourite variety. As well, we have normal cucumber, green courgettes, dwarf beans, and dwarf peas, lots of herbs and tons of strawberries with heaps of flowers on them as well.

Good job the garden is looking rosy as we’re having the house re-vamped and it’s going to be a bit of a building site during the summer months

Front border

 

In writing news, this will be available soon.

And I’m busy working on my next pocket novel, which is a romantic story set in the Caribbean, so off there now. So I’m going to have some chopped pineapple to eat while I’m sailing away… Up to chapter 6, and more news on that as it develops.

Enjoy the lighter nights and mornings. It’s getting light at half past four in the morning now when I go out to my cleaning job.

And the great thing is I’m all done by coffee time.

Into the New Year

Hope the weather isn’t too bad where you are. It’s cold and a bit bleak in the midlands, but we’re still able to go to work. And I’ve been to the gym three times last week. How is it that you can take months to get fit and then after two weeks of mince pies, chocolates and other food, you’re almost a stone heavier? So it’s back to the green tea for a while. Good job I like it.

Do you want to be a pocket novelist? If so, the only way to know exactly what the editor is looking for is to read some. Or preferably, subscribe. I’ve recently become a subscriber, so now I get those lovely handbag novels delivered to my door. The stories are really good, if you like a longer story where you stay with great and exciting characters. Look out for a follow up to Country Matters coming towards the end of March/early April. You can see the opening chapters on my website if you’re interested. Though I’ve edited it a bit since then so it won’t be exactly the same. Another bonus to being a subscriber is getting these wonderful books at half price, and you don’t have to go driving round to find one.

It’s time now to clear out your wardrobe. That’s me talking to myself. To say it’s a bit messy would be an understatement. But seeing as I had some new clothes for Christmas, it’s about time to sort and chuck out, or send to the charity shop. But if I’m anything like my mum, she recently tried to have a clear out, and ended up getting rid of one dress, which she gave to me. It was actually mine about twenty years ago and I gave it to her. A red velvet classic. I may do pictures of before and after the closet clearance, but please prepare yourselves as it’s not a site for the squeamish among you.

This grey and white jumper is one I’ll keep because I knitted it myself and it’s good with a thin jumper underneath and goes with jeans, trousers or a skirt.

Have a great weekend, and more on the wardrobe clearance soon.