Happy Christmas

I wish I could have bottled last night. The sky was clear with a full moon and all the houses had some form of Christmas lights twinkling. DH and I walked across to the village hall where we could hear O Come All Ye Faithful drifting out on to the crisp air. I had to confess a lump filled my throat. Once inside we were greeted with mulled wine and a hymn sheet. For the next hour and a half we sang our hearts out with the young and the old. The hall was dominated by a large tree and the walls adorned with twigs and ribbons. Mince pies floated about brought by smiling faces. We were wall to wall singing people.

Being that this was Cornwall the hymn in most request was While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks but not the usual version the Lingham one. By the time we had lifted the rafters with that I knew Christmas was here. It's a shame we couldn't take all that warmth and tone and wander the village.

I am prepared this Christmas. Last night finished the preparations for me. Singing hymns put Christ right back into Christmas. It is so easy to forget what the season is about. The warmth of the community gathering to celebrate the Lord's birth and the community as a whole was wonderful.

Today my kids will moan as we go to mass - three daays of church! The tomorrow we will attend the crib service in the village church. Dh and I if still awake may attend midnight mass as it is only a stone's throw away. Some years I listen to the bells ring and haven't the energy to walk up the hill - maybe this year will be different. Then on Christmas morning we will head off to mass again. It is an effort but it is also a privilege. Christmas marks the birth of LOVE and we need to be thankful and celebrate it in our lives.

Wishing all of you a happy and blessed Christmas. Catch you all on Boxing Day.

So much news has happened in the last few days.....all of the good kind. Julia Williams (first time round Novel Racer Jane Henry) is launching her first book here . Go celebrate!!!

My dh has finally updated his web site with more photos! He's really the creative one in the family. His site is here http://www.fotofenwick.com/ .

On the home front I can report the tree is up, the lights are up, the pudding is made, the cake is made, the pressies are wrapped and I have just discovered I am not cooking Christmas dinner this year!!!!

Oh and while I was fighting my way through Asda for more Christmas lights I fell upon the books shelves and found a little pressie for moi - Michelle Styles' A Christmas Wedding Wager (it's part of a two book collection Christmas by Candlelight). I cursed Michelle as she kept me awake last night........my eyes finally gave in but I was only half way through. Now as I have done most of my tasks maybe today i can sit by the fire and read????

My big bonus of the week aside from having two more family members in the house is I'm having coffee with fellow Novel Racer Flowerpot on Friday!!!!

Romantic Novelist Association - Novel of the Year Long List and it includes the Novel Racers' own Rowan Colman

I can't say how excited I am that one of our Novel Racers is on the long list for Romantic Novelist Association Romantic Novel of the Year long list here! Rowan Coleman'sThe Baby Group is there!!!!!!

Also up there is the wonderful Kate Lace (aka Catherine Jones) for The Chalet Girl. She is pictured at the RNA Winter Party with her latest book Movie Girl.

I must find a way to convince my dh it is essential that I come back for the lunch in February!!!!

Now back to Christmas tasks but smiling!!!!!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Back in the UK again and it's cold........when I checked into the hotel it was 0 Celsius......quite a change from 27c I left in Dubai this morning!!!!

Tomorrow it's time for mince pies and carol concerts. I can't wait.

I promise to catch up with blogging and life in the next few days.......really I do promise!

The Party is Over

It was great but I am shattered. We had 52 acceptances and 45 came. The house looked fabulous and the food was good too.......

Now I can look to Christmas back in the UK :-)

The Desert is Busy but Still Beautiful

I am writing this post when I should be preparing! The number for tonight has grown to 51 not counting ourselves and kids! Oh, why didn't I get it catered - because it started out as a drinks party for twenty and that thanks to my mother's brilliant training I can do with my eyes closed. However for 50 ( I have done 60 before) I need eyes open and normally a day or two - but no. I was in the desert yesterday.

I love desert trips. I love the desert. The sensual shapes of the rolling dunes, the changing colours of the sands, the bag trees and the shrub bushes, even the odd roaming camel. Since we left three years ago the desert has become busy. I looked to one big dune last evening and watched the white land cruisers swarming over it like ants. As I saw the number of cars in our group join up I wondered if it was possible to get lost in the desert any more??? My heart sank - it had been a special treat even when going on a tourist trip like we did last night. The desert was empty but not any more.

My spirits lifted as we took to our big dune. I prayed as our skillful driver pushed us up over and down amazing grades. There is nothing like the feeling of the land cruisers hitting the top and then skidding in the decent at an angle - will you roll or won't you? Thank God we didn't.

The sunset was all the God intended it to be even if the other groups were lined up on the other hills like sentinels. The evening camp was fun and filled with light hearted banter of my dh's colleagues. It was their last hurrah as a company. Dh's old company signed the final paper and brought his new last night. A sadness of what could have been tinged the air with the fear of what the future may hold........

Well, my future holds a massive party tonight so I best get cracking!

Nits

One doesn't usually own up to this sort of things but I discovered on Wednesday just before dd's Christmas concert that she had nits. I quietly told the schoo.l nurse and we went forth into the evening concert with her hair tied back. It was late night so I couldn't treat before she went to bed. I let the little lie in and then began. Now having three kids I have been through nits before and let me say as she had been scratch I had been checking quickly most mornings. The girl was infested.

Two hours later she was debugged so I thought I had just better check myself. I have made it through 44 years of life and three kids with nits never having had them before........but I had nits. Another hour before I was debugged and my hair looked like something from hell. Highlighted hair does not go well with weird chemicals! i just don't advise it. i was supposed to be a fab Christmas party last night but no - my dead nits, fried hair and I stayed home.

Of course all of this debugging wasn't in the schedule for big party - numbers now up to 40! Not to panic I'm off to the desert this afternoon and evening for company do.......so who is having 40 people here tomorrow? Me? No, you must be joking!!!!

Another One Bites the Dust

Well the title could apply to two things - the Christmas letter is done and dusted soon to be winging its way around the world late. It is a huge relief. This was a year so full and with the current uncertainty in our lives - it was a hard letter to get right. However it is done - Yay.



Now the other thing that bit the dust was I heard back from the agent that requested more and as I suspected - it wasn't for them. So I still have one sub out there and will send out two more while I am in Cornwall for Christmas. To be honest I am so done with August Rock and just want to move on. I am desperate to write the new story in my head. I don't think I will make myself wait until I have finished the edit of A Cornish House. I really feel the need to move forward.



Speaking of that I rashly said to the dh we should have a Christmas drinks party to force us to finish the house! No I wasn't under the influence at the time I suggested it. He thought a great idea - well he would! So for my sins I am having thirty-five people for drinks on Friday evening! Is the house 'finished' you ask? Hell no. The cupboards are full but not in the right place however my sitting room looks beautiful. I am mad - certififably mad. I leave in a few days for the UK! Mad as a hatter!

Focus - Christmas Letter

Right, i am disconnecting myself from the Internet until I have written the da*n Christmas letter. So if you will excuse me will I threaten myself.......hopefully I will be back soon :-)

The Dubai 7's

This has got to be one of the highlights of expat life in Dubai. When we left three years ago it was one of the things we longed for most. I was afraid that this year ( the last year in exiles club) would let me down. Well, it's bigger, brighter etc and I loved the chaotic friendly family of the past. Today we sat in the new family section (dry - yes I watched the 7's without a drop!) and it was brilliant.

The 7's were my real intro to rugby and they suit my short attention span beautifully. The Dubai ones are a social affair as much as a sporting one. I saw faces i remembered and met new people. Kids are safe to roam and a sense of the world as it should reigns as the international field performs for you. I was on of the few voices routing for the US team but with the sevens and rugby in general I find - a good try is a good try no matter who makes it.

So I leave you with one of the real reasons I love the Dubai 7's :-)

Middle name Meme, Dubai 7's and Links

Rebecca tagged me for the middle name meme which requires that I list the rules first:

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don't have a middle name, just make one up...or use the one you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

M - Mother. I see being a mother the most important role in life. It shapes much of how I act and think although I wasn't sure I relay wanted to be one until I was one.

A - Angels. I believe in angels especially guardian angels who I particularly relying when I am flying because I am terrified of flying and with my life flying is not an optional activity.

R - Rejection. I am no longer afraid of rejection. I think when I hit 40 this passed and I don't really care what most other people think of me, my life and my work. I finally know and love myself so what others like really doesn't matter.

I - Imagination. Imagination is a special gift and I hadn't realized how many people lack it until recently. It seems to get lost somewhere between childhood and adolescence.

E - Education. Education is so important and it comes in so many many forms. We have an obligation to ourselves and other to keep educating our minds and sharing it with others.

Right now I tag JJ, Cally, Fiona, Nell ,Ray-Anne

Now the Dubai 7's start today, Thursday - despite what the blog says - and believe it or not it is cloudy which I am sure has the players worried as last year they nearly got rained out I here! So here's hoping it won't rain as we will be there tomorrow and Saturday. I am hoping that the 7's won't let me down as I have such wonderful memories of them from when we lived here last!

Now onto a few links for you. I tagged Fiona above but it worth dropping by her blog because she is doing one of her wonderful writing craft sessions. Her insight into writing is brilliant. I now forget who lead me onto this blog but it worth scrolling through his posts during NaNoMo. Here's a quote from his last post which hit home:

"That's because writing is about setting, and reaching, goals.

Stories don't write themselves. They take a considerable time commitment. Often that commitment is hard to justify. But writers, real writers, make writing a priority. They make the time and the effort. "

Ups and Downs

So goes the way of the world that with the highs comes a low......translation - I had a flat out rejection from one of the agents I subbed to last week ( not the one that nibbled but one I spoke to at the party). So onward and upward. However it made me smile that the things she disliked about the script were the things that others had praised in it - go figure!

This morning has been glorious as a fresh cool breeze was blowing west from the sea. I walked around a palace this morning enjoying the almost crisp air and enjoying the crunch of dried leaves under my feet. No I was not hallucinating. Leaves do drop here and in the morning it can be almost cool.

Back

Jet lagged in Dubai. Thank you for all your good wishes. Fingers crossed here but not holding my breath. A post I wrote on Thursday last week in down below!

A Nibble

In great haste as I am on a timed Internet connection......you know that emailed submission a few weeks ago. Well they want to see three chapters!

Be back on Monday!

Meme and Weekend with DS1

I'm not sure where times goes. I sit here in the early hours of the morning loving my house here in Cornwall realizing that I left Dubai a week ago. In that time I have networked, met with friends, been to Dublin, loved ds2, sent two submission and cleaned my Cornish home. In an hour, I head to London to meet with ds1 for the weekend. I can't wait. Again it is such a treat to spend the weekend with my body guard. I say this because at 15 he towers over me (to be fair so does ds2) but ds1 has shoulders beyond belief and takes great delight that his mother is such a midget. So this weekend we will prowl a gallery watch a film or two and maybe see a show plus meet with more friends. I can't wait!

Now Leigh http://leighforbes.blogspot.com/kindly tagged me for this meme - so here goes:

Five Gentlemen I'd Like To Have Round for Tea:

Hugh Jackman

George Washington (childhood hero)

Pope Benedict

Chaucer

Cary Grant

(Strange mix I know and I suppose it wouldn't be doing to be having impure thoughts about Hugh while chatting with the Pope!)

Five Ladies I'd Like to Lunch With:

Queen ElizabethII

Hadewijch

Dame Judy Dench

My Maternal Grandmother

My Paternal Grandmother

Four People I'd Like To Meet in Heaven (exc. family & friends):

Mark Twain

Bing Crosby

Jimmy Stewart

Katherine Hepburn

Four Material Things I Couldn't Live Without:

My puter

My car

My camera

My house

Four Things I COULD Live Without:

Homework

Cleaning

the cat scratching my furniture

the cat bringing me presents

Three Books I Would Save From a Burning Building:

The family bible

Regency Buck

Tom Sawyer

Three Books I Would Throw Into a Burning Building:

Spencer's the Faerie Queene

Anything by Milton

Can't remember any others

Five Songs That Make Me Happy:

Handel’s The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Mambo No. 5

Ave Maria
Hey Baby

Groovy Kinda Love

Five Songs That Make Me Cry:

Can't think of any at the moment but it could just be jet lag

Two Things I Wish I'd Invented:

Haven't a clue

So if you feel like it then let me know so I can come see your list!

Dublin and Posted

Well the submissions went into the post an hour ago......I wouldn't have done both together except that I'm here and its easier. So fingers crossed.

Now to my fabulous weekend in Dublin with my middle son. It was a present for the both of us - time together without the other two interfering. We stayed at the hotel of my cousins which put us in the center of the city. It was easy to explore. The first place ds2 wanted to go was the Guinness Storehouse. DS2 has gift of scent - dh think he should become a sommelier as ds2 can detect the various aromas in wine with a sniff. Well, he loved the tour through the store house with the barely and the hops. He enjoyed the taste of the roasted barely and wondered if they would let him taste the finished product. I thought to myself - this is Dublin, no one will object. So when we reached the tasting room and I grabbed a glass - ds2 stuck his nose in and took a deep breath. He could smell it all. I told him to have a wee sip as no one was looking. He grinned from ear to ear.

After the storehouse we caught up with the wonderful Irish writer Abby Green ( check our her web site - the news section -for a great contest!) and she guided us through the day to finally land at a pub early evening listening to Traditional Music. DS2 felt this was the highlight of the trip (aside from being alone with his mother of course) - in the pub with a shandy and Abby and me. He quickly picked on the Irish ways of flattery - but it is in the blood of course.

Before the weekend was over we managed to squeeze in the Book of Kells at Trinty and a trip to Bewley's - so all in all DS2 had a great birthday.

Now i have been tagged by Leigh which I am looking forward to doing but not today. I need to clean the house!!!!

Here's a great link that set the light bulbs going for me http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2007/11/thanksgiving-leftovers-writing-advice.html

RNA Winter Party

Well, it's a crisp clear morning here in Cornwall and last week seeems a long time ago - even this weekend for that matter, but I must tell you about the party.














In truth the party began before I arrived at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers as half the attendees were staying at the New Cavendish Club. I had a brief chance to chat with the lovely Eileen Ramsayand Katie Fforde kindly treated me to a drink at the bar before we went. I had hoped this would help to keep my eyes open (what kind of fool was I to think that you should fly in the morning of the big party???) and give me courage. By the time we arrive at six forty there was already a good crowd.




Evelyn Ryle who writes as Joanna Maitlandfor HMB pushed me into crowd with the words, "There seven agents here today and as many editors. Go get one." With knees shaking I plunged into the crowd and fell at the first hurdle when I bumped into a familiar face. However after a few minutes I reminded my self this was a jolly this was business this time. At all the past events I really didn't have anything to sell but this time it was not so. It was do or die.


I am pleased to report after several fortifying glasses of wine I did do........so in a few short minutes I will connecting the lap top to printer and submitting to two agents that I connected with at the party. They were both willing to look at August Rock - shock horror, no really its all a bit exciting and overwhelming.


The line up of editors were impressive. Represented in very healthy numbers were Orion, Transworld, Hodder, Harper, Piatkus, Harlequin Mills & Boon, and Severn House. It was a place to see and be seen. I was lucky enough to catch the moment when our chairwomen Catherine Jones, writing as Kate Lace, was handed her first copy of her second book for Little Black Dress by editor Cat Cobain.




I also have a very insightful chat with Gillian Green currently editor at Piatkus but moving on to the Ebury at Random House. She listened to me warble on as it was towards the end of the evening and gave me some sound advice - now it I could only recall it!





So who else did I see......Biddy Coady (who was being chased by Karin Stoeker, the editoral director of HMB to get her chapters in - so do it Biddy!) Fiona Harper, Judy Astley, Phillipa Ashley, Mary De Laszlo, Annie Ashurst (Sara Craven), Jan Jones, Jean Fullerton, Susie Vereker and my memory is beginning to fail me. I should have written this Friday morning but I didn't have time as I meeting Phillipa Ashley for coffee :-)


Then it was out to dinner which my body was telling was crazy but how could I turn down dinner with so many friends. I tried to keep my eyes open. At dinner it was a great chance to rehash the party and catch up.

At dinner (apologies as it's quite a list!) Kaite Fforde, Catherine Jones, Jo Thomas, Henrietta Gyland, Pia Tapper Fenton, Julia Williams(whose book Pastures new is out next month!) Giselle Green and Gilli Allen.......I struggled into the hotel and collapsed.

I can't say how wonderful it was to be with other writers and the bonus that they are friends too.......it will have to keep me going for a while.

As this is such a long post I'll wait until tomorrow to tell you about Dublin.

Greetings from London

It's really weird to be sitting in Starbucks on Oxford Street and writing a post......neat too. London is breathtaking - cool, clear and crisp. I'd almost forgotten.

Last night was Romantic Novelist Winter Party. Yet again it was another fabulous bash with loads of wonderful writers plus editors and agents. I did take a few photos which I will post next week when I have the connection cable for my camera.

I made contact with two agents that were on my lists and I will sending to them next week when I am Cornwall. Fingers crossed.

I'm off to Dublin with ds2 and I'm really excited......like a little kid. Enjoy the weekend all:-)

Settled and Off

Well, as you can see below, Snowy has settled into the villa well. We will we soon too.

I am off to the UK tomorrow with mixed feelings. I am so looking forward to the RNA Winter Party and meeting up with friends, seeing both my boys, and seeing my home in Cornwall but I hate leaving dh and dd here. The sofas arrive on Saturday and I won't be here. Life is a bit turbulent as my dh's new company went ipo and has been the subject of a hostile take since last Tuesday. Currently things are up in the air - not bought out but not really free. Just what this means for us as a family I don't yet. So I hate leaving yet I am looking forward. This is one of the times that I wish there could be two of me. At the rate I have been eating chocolate lately I having been clearly trying to reach this goal.

I don't know what my Internet connection will be like until I reach Cornwall on Monday so i may or may not be popping in. Keep well.

Links

Today I have been taking a much needed break for sorting and shifting to browse blogs. I have missed them but the weight of sorting the house before I leave on Thursday morning has been putting a serious cramp in my web time. So apologies if I haven't commented but I have been trying to scan through to catch up on people's news.


First there has been some excellent news from a fellow member of the RNA, Jean Fullerton. She won the Harry Bowling Prize last year and has just signed a two book contract with Orion. Well done Jean. Her first book was published by Triskelion who then went belly up so this is just brilliant news.

So in my scan, I came across to posts worth sharing. Aside from Ray-Anne's wonderful posts on men, she tends to hit the nail on the head for me. This post on positive thinking is great and I especially like the hat and crayon idea. I have just the Fez to wear for the activity. http://mischiefandfilth.blogspot.com/2007/11/power-of-postive-thought.html

Jumping to Steve Malley's post here ,it touched a little bit on same area. He is writing about the stages of writing. I think the crayons and hat would work particularly well when you get to steps Insecurity and Grinding. Just a thought anyway.



Finally Janet Gover sent me some of here photos from our great day out and this one of me made me laugh.

Goat Trees and Bag Trees

There is a tremendous amount going on in our lives at the moment that i can not share....but life has been put on a kind of hold. I am off to the UK on Thursday and will catch up with writer friends, celebrate my middle ds's 13th birthday in Dublin, visit Cornwall, and spend a weekend in London with my eldest. All of these are really exciting but my heart is gripped in a vice at present. Thankfully it is not illness but it touches all aspects of our lives.

Enough of that.......on our trip to the mountains it was wonderful to reacquaint myself with some things I had almost forgotten like the plastic bag trees. Unfortunately I didn't capture any of these on camera but they are a robust tree with a tap root that goes down as far as 60 metres. It is a real desert mountain sight and invariably they bloom with different coloured plastic bags left behind by the human population.

As for goat trees, I think the picture says it all.

Mountains

The villa is beginning to look like home. Everything is finding a place - not the right place but a place.

So on Friday we escaped to the mountains for a bit of perspective. It was good to leave the man made to see the God made. Here's a few photos. The extra bonus is that fellow member of the Romantic Novelist Association, Janet Gover, was in town and joined us for the escape. I was able to talk about writing for hours - have pity on the dh and the dd!

Alive

In villa and unpacking. Chaos reigns but the Internet is connected!

A Villa in Sight

Dare I say it, we should be in the villa on Sunday night and with our things on Monday. I have reached that stage of the game where I can not face another room service meal or hotel breakfast. I hate smoked glass depriving me of the glorious day light and I want to kill snowy as he bounces off the walls doing what I feel inside.

We have been here in the hotel for two months and its's been too long. There is nothing wrong with the hotel except the dim lighting. The staff are lovely and dd has loved the pool but I need light and my things. The last time I saw my tpr pile was back in early July. I don't remember what was in it. Needless to say I have created another one here. It's just something one can't be without.

I know the madness of the move will set in a few hours. The stress levels will soar to breaking on Monday when things arrive broken and damaged but at least I will have them.

From tomorrow I am unsure of the access to the Internet so I will pop when I can........now off to finished gathering up two moths worth of the debris of life........

Clarification and Help request

The picture from two days ago was taken while I was trying to capture a shot like this one taken six years ago. This particular shot began the news letter and the card shot was one of the kids on the beach in front of the Burj Al Arab. In this one you can see the ubiquitous Santa hat that we don't have this year as it's still in the container. With the help of God, we shall be in our villa this time next week but with out Internet so you may not here from me for a few days - on the other hand I may resort to an Internet cafe!!!! Also I sounded very virtuous with my Christmas letter but It is an essential of life if you have moved around as much as we have.......friends all over the place.

Thank you those you have popped by to read the chapter of August Rock. The feedback has been super and very kind. I do have a question to through out there though. AS I have gone for Opening sentence one, the wedding departure scene has to be told in flashback which leads to a tremendous number of hads. Is there any way of eliminating some of them or getting around it in anyway it. Here's the second paragraph:

Hours ago when she had stood in the doorway of the church; all she had been able to see were various shades of pink. Flowers and ribbons had adorned every pew, the altar barely visible for all the massed blooms in every shade of the wretched colour; particularly pale pink. Her fiancé, John, had stood among the flowers; tall, blond, perfect yet even he had not escaped the colour with a waistcoat matching the flower girls’ dresses. They had spun around her knees with pink stinking lilies clutched in their fists.

That's only the second paragraph. The flashback scene goes on for a page an a half. Any thought would be helpful.

Christmas card and Other Bits

That time of year has arrived again when I bully my lovely children to smile for the camera for the annual Christmas card. Now we do try and be creative with this endeavour which pisses the kids off no end. However this year we don't even have the Santa hat to brighten the photo.

Having lived here before we have explored all sorts of options for the photo but this year the time frame was short and more tricky by the littlest being in school and my middle ds leaves tomorrow.

Desperation kicked in and we did a sunset shot on the beach. It is boring but it will have to do.

For the curious I have update the first chapter link for August Rock to reflect the latest revision here.

Now Leigh dropped by and posted a few questions which rather than reply to the comments I thought I would post here:

1. How many times do you rewrite your work? This time, ten but there will be at least one more that I know of for August Rock - am hoping to cut this number down on current and future works as I have learned so much from the whole writing progress of AR

And how do you know when it reaches its finished state? Good question - when I can't stand the sight of it any more? I'm not sure, maybe when it has been accepted by someone or I just can't see how I can make it any better...

2. How long do you leave your work before revisiting to make changes? This depends on the type of rewrite. A Cornish House has been sitting months before I picked it up so that I could look at it with new eyes. However some of my rewrites of AR have been close together - days apart. AR is resting now and I will read it through fresh next week. I think one of the good things of being pre-published is that I have time - no deadlines racing me through the process expect the ones I set.

3. How long since you submitted your work to the agent? I sent an email submission on the 8th of this month. Not long ago, I know but I was told that email subs are looked at quite quickly so I have no qualms sending off a postal one to a different agent when I am in the UK in two weeks. I have have personally met the next three agents I will be sending to and plan to give those each six weeks between submissions........

So, the next piece of writing for me will be the Christmas letter.......I somewhat dread this and yet love putting it together. Hence any temptation I may have had about NaNoMo is dead before it begins.......

Oh, did I mention that I am now a full Dubai expat as I am now driving a huge 4x4 (better safe than sorry).......but still living in a hotel.

Another One Bites the Dust

Rewrite 10 of August Rock is complete, including a many times rewritten first page. I will now let it rest a few days before I read through it again. I hope to submit to another agent when I'm back in the UK in two weeks - no I haven't heard from the one I emailed a submission to......

Confession

I couldn't hold back any longer......I wrote the first 144 words of the new novel. I just couldn't stop myself. I was editing August Rock and my eyes were tired so I closed them for twenty minutes and realized in light sleep that I was thinking about the new story. Boom woke up and had the beginning just had to put it onto paper. I am a lost soul aren't I?

STOMP - Dubai

I had heard that Stomp was good so I booked tickets as treat for the boys during half term and took a few of their friends. It was delight times two. I was amazed and enchanted by the sheer joy of it but most of my pleasure came from the five young teenagers. They loved every second of it. All had been a bit sceptical about what I was carting them off to but they wouldn't leave until the stage was clear of the last man....... A great night :-)

Another Meme

Alyssa tagged for a meme and I'm happy to oblige but will confess that I'm having a tough time trying to think up new things about me....... probably because I am plain ordinary.

Here goes. So eight quirky, unusual, completely random things about me:

1. I'm an only child so I many times don't understand the politics of my three kids
2. I have always wanted to drive a Mercedes 450slk -I guess there is still time yet
3. I never expected to be a stay at home mum - no complaints here (in fact deeply thankful) but it was just never in the vision of how I saw myself
4. My best friend and I are like chalk and cheese (she's sporty and I'm bookish) yet we have been friends for over 40 years
5. I have always been a sucker for English men (hence I married one :-) )
6. I have a passion for Redbush tea
7. I love embarrassing my children and especially with my honesty when they ask questions
8. I am blessed with a life strengthening belief in God and the belief that there is something good in all people

I won't tag anyone but if you pick up the gauntlet let me know.

I have to point you in the direction of Steve Malley again. He has the first part of a great post on action scenes (this one the fade to the fireplace) and it enlightened me on the Bridget Jones film. Maybe I should have added to the list that I am still far too innocent at 44!

Link

I was over on CS Harris' s blog and she lead me to a fantastic post here by Steve Malley about bad and lazy words in writing. Go read it and then examine your wip!

First Pages

As one does in Dubai, I was killing time while the boys were having a snow boarding lesson. So I wondered into Virgin and did an exercise........I looked at books. I stroked covers and admired titles. I debated what made me pick up a book and what made me put it down then I read first pages as I have been thinking about mine. As an 'pre-published' writer I know that quite possibly my first page may have to 'better' (here read - a real grabber) than someone who has a following already. I know that because on authors I love I just pick up their books - at most I will read the blurb on the back. I don't read the first page in the shop. I also know I am not alone on this.

However yesterday I read loads of first pages of 'my' type of books - women's fiction. Yesterday's exercise wasn't about improving my mind or challenging it. It was about pleasure as a book buyer. It was also about trying to learn what would make me continue to read my own book - for I am after all writing for me or my type of reader - if that makes sense.

So I stroked and perused my way through maybe fifty books. I am sure the staff thought I was some sort of a pervert. The first book that grabbed me on the first page was Maggie O'Farrells The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. I was intrigued and I would have read more but yesterday I was not in a historical mood and it struck as historical - dance cards yous see. Did I mention that I didn't read the blurb on the back of the books. I chose purely by title, cover and first page. So I put Maggie back for another day. Then I hit upon a section of Erica James' A Breath of Fresh Air. I will confess it wasn't the title or the cover but the fact I knew her name as she won the RNA Romantic Novel of Year award in 2006 with Gardens of Delight. So therefore my research was skewed. However the first two sentence had me:

"Charlotte had never seen a man cry before, so she wasn't sure how to react to her husband's unexpected display of emotion. Not once had she ever imagined Peter capable of crying; It went against all she had ever known about him."

I read on and I am now the owner of the book. I caressed a few more and the next book that ended in my basket was Christina Jones' Love Potions.

"Okay, so finding so finding a naked man in her bed wasn't unusual. There had been one or two in her past - not at the same time, of course."

There was another one that I loved but sadly left behind.....and I can't remember the authors name of the title. May have to return and add it to my list........

So what did I learn in this ... Covers are third on the list of importance to me, titles are first if I don't know the author at all, and the first page put the book into my basket so to speak. Now The cover and title told me it was 'my' type of fiction so maybe I should put them first because when you are looking through tables of mixed fiction I really don't see the covers of Andy McNab and Clive Cussler so packaging works.

You may be wondering how I read out of my 'box' because I do. I love reading the reviews in the weekend section although they never review 'my' type of fiction. Of course there are book club selections, friends books and personal recommendations that round out my trb pile.

When I came home I looked at the various opening lines of August Rock and wondered based on the above research which would make me put it in my basket.

1. Judith sat watching the incoming tide lap over her red toenails and wet the brilliant white lace of her wedding gown. Tears caused it all to blur to pink.

2. The cloying scent of oriental lilies permeated the heavy air. June was not supposed to be this hot on Cape Cod and certainly not on her wedding day.

3. The leaves in the birch trees hung limp as Judith looked at the grey sky. Even the birds were not moving in the heavy air but little girls in rose coloured dresses spun about her with stinking pink lilies clutched in their fists.

Interesting......I know which I would choose based on the first lines but which one would you?

Vicarious Pleasure

Yesterday while swimming in the pool at the beach club (which sounds very pompous - I know) i had the extreme pleasure of seeing a woman reading Phillipa Ashley's book Wish You Were Here in the pool. As i swam closer to make sure that was what she was reading my excitement grew. I thought how bl**dy fantastic. DD asked why I was smiling and I told her. The I thought what the hell and swam up to the woman and saw she was almost at the end. Boldly because I am a shy person by nature i said, "Excuse me."

She looked up puzzled.

"Sorry to interrupt but are you enjoying the book?"

"Yes." She pause. "Why are you the author?"

"No. Not so lucky. Just curious and if I was the writer I would never have the courage to ask." Sh smiled and I wasn't going to own up to knowing Phillipa.

"Is it good?" I asked. I haven't got my hands on this one yet.

"Yes, chit lit, great beach read." She smiled and stuck her nose back in and I swam off.

I get such a buzz seeing my friends books being read!! I also get a buzz seeing there books on the shelves of stores........Maybe one day I'll get the same buzz from seeing mine (well I can dream can't I?).

Hung Over and First Pages

Gosh, I am a fool. Let me out one night and whoops.....thumping head. By my age I should know better, I really should but it must be age because I keep forgetting or I don't get out much!

As I said yesterday there are so many things rolling around in my head and again I am sharing some with you.

1. last night before too much wine was consumed I 'found' a missing twist for the novel floating in my head and it fits to perfectly it makes me want to dance!

2. I am a believer in things happen for a reason - good and bad. This fits into a book a friend handed me to read when I arrived here in Dubai - The Monk who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. Now I go hot and cold on these type of books but I do believe in the person who said I should read it. Then lo and behold to give me and extra push Robin Sharma will be giving a talk to the parents of dd's school so I guess I was meant to read this book.

3. I have started reading Julia Cameron's The Artist Way and I have been doing my morning pages ( not yet today - naughty me). This book was recommended it me at the RNA Savoy Lunch last year by a wonderful writer whose name I can't remember. So who ever you are thank you. Reading these two books in tandem makes for some interesting self insight.

4. Last night something completely unexpected happened. I was offered a job! I wasn't looking for one. I can't say any more about it other than it is in the art world and I don't yet know what I am going to do.

Finally Fiona of the Novel Racers has taken up Julie Cohen First Page Challenge. I have done this several times now and have learned so much - from my own and other people's pages. So I thought I would post again the previous first page of August Rock and the new first page. Which reminds me I need to update the first chapter link on the side bar.........

Centerville, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 4th June 2005 (Version 9)
Judith sat watching the incoming tide lap over her red toenails and wet the brilliant white lace of her wedding gown. Tears caused it all to blur to pink. She didn’t like pink. Not that anyone cared that she didn’t like the colour. The church was filled with pink flowers. Hundreds of lilies to be precise and their scent still filled her nostrils despite the brisk breeze coming in with the tide.
An hour ago when she had stood in the doorway of the church; all she had been able to see were various shades of pink. Flowers and ribbons had adorned every pew, the altar barely visible for all the massed blooms in every shade of the wretched colour; particularly pale pink. Her fiancé, John, had stood among the flowers; tall, blond, perfect yet even he had not escaped the colour with a waistcoat matching the flower girls’ pink dresses. Theyhad spun around her knees with pink stinking lilies clutched in their fists.
The heat of the early June afternoon had intensified the cloying scent of the flowers to overwhelming levels, as the soprano in the choir loft hit the high notes on some hymn Judith couldn’t remember. In her hands, she had held a decadent bunch of lilies, carnations, roses and other pink flowers which reached the floor in their cascade. She had watched her hands tremble and sweat so much that she dropped the candyfloss mess on the floor.
The salty water of the Gulf Stream took the stiffness out of the lace so that it collapsed on her legs. Now she felt at peace with the damn dress; wet and shapeless. A seagull dive-bombed in front of her forcing her to wipe her eyes so that she could see if he was successful. He was and she smiled. At least someone got what they wanted.

Centerville, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 4th June 2005 (Version 10)
The cloying scent of oriental lilies permeated the heavy air. June was not supposed to be this hot on Cape Cod and certainly not on her wedding day. Something resembling excitement grabbed at Judith’s stomach as she leaned forward to catch a glimpse of her fiancé John. It took her eyes a while to pick him out among the masses of pink flowers that smothered the altar but there he stood with his best man. He showed no signs of nerves with the most heart melting smile on his face. He was happy.
Little girls in their pink dresses twirled about her while a soprano in the choir loft hit the high notes on some hymn Judith didn’t recognize. Her stomach fluttered again and sweat trickled down the back of her neck. She was sure that all brides were nervous and this unsettled feeling was normal.
A vision of raging seas, icy water, and terrified screaming flashed in her mind. She shivered and swayed then grabbed a pillar. She didn’t need this today of all days. She sought out John’s smiling face and tried to focus on today and not the terrifying things in her mind. Someone was fussing with the back of her dress and it couldn’t be her mother as she was safely ensconced in her pew and thankfully nowhere near Judith.
“That’s better.” Mary, her maid of honour, let go of the train and stood up. “This heat is unbearable and who would think it would happen in June. More like August really.”

Now, although I still prefer the opening line of the version 9 I think version 10 sets up the story better. What do you think?

Now there are loads of things I want to blog about and everything is rushing about in my head so I will try and make some order of it. First a huge thank you to Phillipa Ashley who kindly posted a photo for me of my beloved Cornwall here.

I am sadly behind in my blog reading having been enjoy the Eid holiday here. When we were away for a few days i was without Internet access which the DH thought was a very good thing but now I have so much to catch up on..........So here's a wonderful link over at Ray-Anne's blog on beats. I couldn't begin to explain it but she does the most amazing job. I don't think I could write this way but I do think as she points of a fantastic tool for writing if a scene isn't working.



I have been tagged by the fabulous Lisa at http://eudaemoniaforall.blogspot.com/. It is a fabulous book meme which I look forward to doing but I realize that without my books with me I can't really do this properly so I will have to wait a month until I am in the villa and the boxes of books are unpacked......so I must post a reminder in the my diary as my brain is not too good at remembering these days.



Now for a bit of a rant. I have spoken about the refresh problem and the wonderful J came to my rescue. I have discovered that doesn't always work ( a 75% success rate) so I am doomed while living here to be behind. I will learn to live with it. I have also found that on Facebook I can't update my virtual bookshelf as that is a banned site. I am also finding that I can't google certain people. The wonderful author Rachel Hore is one. I hope she will find this amusing but I wanted to check to see if she listed who her agent was on her new website( which is beautiful btw) and couldn't remember her web address so I googled it - hah. Big red sign saying banned. Fortunately I remembered that it's was linked from Hilary Johnson's web page and I made it there in the end. This morning it won't let me go to Lisa's blog??? Or visit one of the people who commented on my post below. Arghhhhhhhhhhhh.


Having said all the above living in Dubai is great......I just want to get into my own home!!!! Enough rant. I must catch up on blogs........BTW dd is on half term this week and ds2 arrive Thursday and dds1 arrives on Sunday so posting and visiting may well be erratic at best.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Feeling much better.......spent happy hours with this view and this one....... Eid Mubarak.....

Sand Storm

Having lived here before I thought I knew it all but I didn't know that sand storms go by two names - the Shamal (which I knew) and the Gibly (which I didn't). Yesterday we experienced a Gibly which is one that comes from the south which meant that it was 'foggy' all day yesterday and the temperature rose back up into the 40s. Its strange when the wind is hot and tactile.....

Maybe it was the coming storm that brought my mood down but all the support from my blog friends brought it up. Thank you all. I followed your advice and treated myself to something that Dubai is good for - jewelry......just something small. Nothing like a bit of shopping to raise the spirits and then a long swim in the pool with dd. I thought about the bubble bath.......but then realized that for me Dubai isn't a 'bath' place........I know I'm weird but Cornwall I soak in the tub but here??? I could count on one hand the baths I've had in Dubai. Don't worry, I shower daily!

Your comments yesterday had me thinking about culture shock. Yes, I had dismissed it because , hell, I am an experienced expat and I had lived here before. This time unlike others I also had friends on the ground and varied friends and all of them in the 'best' category. Each fills some part of me and I am blessed. Yet landed here just before Ramadan threw me into the midst of a different life again even if I do understand and respect it.

So I will be a bit kinder to myself. We are off to a hotel on the beach for two days. Looking at the sea will be a welcoming break from the building sight out the window now. DD is on her half term break and it won't be long until my boys are here :-)

Feeling Low

I have no right to be down but I am. I am living in one of the top holiday destinations and the sun shines everyday. I do not have to do much cleaning as nice people appear every two days to do it for me. We have been living in this hotel apartment for just over a month now and I have another month to go before we can move into our villa. All my things were backed up back on the 11th of July. I am missing them.

My baby turned fifteen this week. I say baby but my eldest last time I saw him stood at five foot ten and towered over me. I want to know where the time went. Here is a picture of him when he was my baby and we were living in Calgary.

I want to start writing the book in my head but I need to practice discipline and finish at least one rewrite of A Cornish House.

Ramadan is almost over and I am sooooooo ready for the coffee shops to be open in the day. My dd goes on half term today and finished just as the boys arrive for theirs - great timing!

On a positive note I have book my tickets for my November trip when my middle turns 13! I am taking him to Dublin for the weekend and as a bonus I can go to the Romantic Novelist Christmas party!

Sorry for the Silence and Links

Sorry I haven't been posting....there are several reasons for it. First I was focused on bashing August Rock into shape and zapping it off to the Amazon contest. But then I thought do I really want to do this? The answer came back not really because I know that shortly I will not meet the entry requirements of being resident in the UK ( the UAE was not one of the allowed countries) and the other reasons was that i must bite the bullet and sub agents.

So for a few days I was in a frenzy of editing - good stuff and then into deep reflection. Neither of these promoted blog writing moods. Oh and did I mention that we had car to choose and thinking about beach clubs - tough I know but someone has to it :-)

Yesterday I spent my writing time trying to squash my synopsis down to one page double spaced and yet still retain the essence of the story. I went back to my notes for the Romantic Novelist Conference from Emma Dunford's session. She was emphatic about one page double spaced! In the end I got there but I will reread with a clear head today to see if it really worked. After a while I was just cutting wildly! I am hoping it's like a blurb but reveals all yet it could be an unintelligible disaster.

In my Sunday blog search I came onto C.S. Harris blog discussing Plotter vs Pansters. It's well worth a look as it makes plotting seem less onerous to me (being a panster). Finally caught with Ray-Anne's blog this week which I enjoy for her feature of English Cheese as she calls them ( absolutely gorgeous English leading men - this week Jason Isaacs) and wise words. Two of her posts this week hit home - How to eat and Elephant tackling rewriting and some seriously good writing tips.

Plotting

There's a great post on plotting over at Lisa's blog. It started me thinking as these things do but it was the comment from Shauna Roberts Shauna Roberts who said:

"One technique I use for both my fiction and nonfiction is the List of Twenty. You set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and then jot down as fast as you can at least 20 things that could happen next (or 20 titles or 20 mishaps that could befall someone on a pilgrimage or whatever your sticking point is). The time limit forces you to write, not think.

The first few items on the List of Twenty are always predictable and boring. Then you get desperate and start putting down surprising things. Most are junk, as you'd expect, but usually your subconscious dredges up something interesting."

Now this an idea I think I could get on with and it might just end up there with my set a timer for twenty minutes and just write.......

Opportunity

Just in case my fellow aspiring writers haven't seen what Amazon with Penguin and HP are up to here's the link https://abna.createspace.com/. The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award -interesting. Are you up for it or with the Daily Mail, Miss Write ect. comps have you had enough?

I am in two minds as I think sending another work delays the process of submitting to agents etc but it seems less threatening in a away. It's out there and chances are no will really read it and yet you have sent it into the big bad world....... don't know but better make up my mind soon as they are only taking 5000 entries.......

Leap of Faith

My heart was in my mouth at I watched Snowy's latest game. I waited for the glass shelf to come crashing down!

Over the weekend, yours that is and not mine, I was browsing blogs as I do and came across another interesting meme on Absolute Vanilla's blog and I thought at this current point in my own writing it would be good to do as an exercise. So here is a meme about writing strengths ( don't worry I'm not going to tag anyone):

"The instructions were as follows:
Make a list of five strengths that you possess as a writer/artist. It's not really bragging, it's an honest assessment (forced upon you by this darn meme). Please resist the urge to enumerate your weaknesses, or even mention them in contrast to each strong point you list. Tag four other writers or artists whom you'd like to see share their strengths."

So here goes:

Writing dialogue. I love it and it shows through in my writing.

Sexual tension. I love the build up to romance and I try to put as much as possible into the lead up to the 'kiss'.

Sense of location. Cornwall inspires me and I think I capture the landscape and the feel of it very well.

Capturing adolescence. Probably because of having two of them at home but also because I love just talking with teens, my teenage characters are spicy and true to life.

Happy endings. Some may think this is a down side but I have seen too many unhappy endings in my life to not want to give my characters a hopeful start on the life beyond the book.

So what are your writing strengths?

Persistence or Listening to Beeny

OK, I have committed myself to this writing lark so that tells the world I have sado masochistic tendencies. You will note that on the sidebar there is yet another progress meter for August Rock. - yes, rewrite 10! Have I lost my mind - absolutely.

As you know AR went into the New Writers' Scheme and came out with some praise but it still had failings - namely my bl..dy dyslexic typos. So I sent it off to Caroline Upcher for another editorial review since she had critiqued it before to see if all the work I had done so far worked. Yesterday I received her report - yes and well no. The book is still too predictable and I am too prone to repetition.

So, I begin again. I have a feeling that AR will never see the light of day however it has taught me so much that that it will be OK. The other day I read Therese Fowler's blog which mentioned that Souvenir was her third novel and that was the one that broke through so if that follows for me A Cornish House will be my break through but I haven't learned enough on AR yet for me to give it up. So I just keep writing and in the words of the lovely Chris, I will listen to Beeny.

Thursday's Friday

The world is so much better since anonymous J taught me how to force the page to refresh. I am no longer stuck looking at yesterday or even last week's blog! Thank you again J.

This photo was of the sunset off the balcony of our hotel/apartment last night. I'm definitely becoming used to the rhythms of the day here now and no longer falling asleep at 8! However no doubt the dh will be as he will be 9 hours adrift after this last trip to Texas.

The editing has been rolling on this week well. I'm enjoying the story which bodes well - at least I hope it does. As I mentioned that this is just an edit for language not plot, not character...... I'm saving those delights once the script is readable! However I did go back to the He Wrote/She Wrote lesson about the conflict box here . I was pleased to see what I have set up works so at least the foundation is there for the next stage.

The lovely Flowerpot had tagged me with this great meme.

Total number of books? This is a good question as I haven't a clue as currently they are split between the container and Cornwall. Plus due to our transient life style I had to let go of beloved books along the way to make room for my children's and husband's book - the things I do for them!

Last Book read? The Bride's Seduction by Louise Allen and I finished this last night and I must say it was a great pleasure (more about this later) I also have on the go The end of the Affair by Graham Greene and Atonement by Ian McEwan

Last Book Bought? The End of the Affair

Five meaningful Books? This is a tough one... what does meaningful mean? Books that have stayed with me? Books that have altered my thoughts? Hmmmmmmm. Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (can't remember how times I read this as a child), Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer (began my love affair with historical fiction), Leo the African by Amin Maalouf (showed me a different view on history), Any Human Heart by William Boyd (showed me how differently a man's mind works) and finally Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (for sheer joy)

Now I am supposed to tag five people so I tag:

Rebecca Burgess
Jan
Alyssa Goodnight
Lisa
Ray-Anne

Rather long post today but I thought I would mention that in the UK today there will a radio program on about Mills and Boon entitled Guilty Pleasures. I will try and listen through the net as I think there is much derision about Mill and Boon that I personally think is cr.p. There are several posts out there ( here and here)that say it better than I will but I think the snobbery is generated by people who haven't looked inside the cover of a Mills and Boon in at least twenty years. From my own reading experience, I have spent many wonderful hours of pleasure but not guilty pleasure - that I reserve for chocolate, with all different varieties of Mills and Boon books. The authors writing these stories are brilliant, skilled and hard working. Before you turn your nose up try picking up any of Julie Cohen's if you can handle heat or Fiona Harper's for a gentler approach.

The book I read last night was from their historical line. It was beautifully and compelling written. Yes, I knew it would work out in the end - hell that's why I read them. Sometimes I need an emotional lift and that's what Mills and Boon provide with beautifully crafted stories (yes the tried and tested formula of boy meet girl and they end up together!). However I will add there is one thing I hate about Mills and Boon and that is their bl--dy titles. It is for their titles alone I will not be seen in public reading them or for that matter in front of my eight year old, or thirteen or fifteen year old. (You try explaining why your reading Virgin bought and Paid For!) As a final thought Ray-Anne here has an interesting post on why the genre is still so successful today.

Rant and Link

First the rant....I check blogs regularly (especially when I am editing and procrastinating) and I have noticed that even with my own I don't get an update for say half a day. So I will post this and it will be after lunch before it appears on my screen as showing up in blogland ( although I know it is out there for the rest of the world as I will get email alerts that someone has commented on the post - go figure). So I thought there was some problem with my beloved, that she was tired and her memory needed help so I cleaned up her cashe and still the same problem.

This morning I stopped by the Novel Racers' Blog and the last post showing up was Monday's....I knew was a load of bull as I have been there yesterday through the dashboard and there had been three more posts. So I clicked through the dashboard and wow there were another two posts.....Why? Could some one tell me why I'm not seeing them? So I went through my usual click through of blogs and came to Lane's , from the past I knew she post regularly but all this week I have been seeing last Thursday's post yet I have seem her commenting on other people's blogs. I thought she must not be in a posting mood......NO, she had written four posts which only showed up on my puter today!!!!

I don't think there is anything I can do about it but all of you who are wondering why I am not there commenting - well its because I have no idea you have posted. I am stuck with yesterday or last week's post.........

Rant finished.

Now on to the important stuff the link! Over on Chris's blog she has posted her list of advice for writers which is honest, heartfelt, hard won and funny (my personal favorite is number 7. listen to Beeny). Read it to learn and read it to laugh :-)

Now I am sending this out into the blogsphere and I myself may see it this afternoon but then it may be tomorrow!

Light Bulb Moment - Yearning

Thanks to the wonderful Lisa at Eudaemonia and her post on Yearning, I can see where A Cornish House is going! I can see where the conflict is coming from and I can see the resolution.

When I split the manuscript up it became very clear that it was both women's stories. The word count was a bit heavier on Madde's side but that probably balances a bit the strength of Serena character - she comes across without the need for as many words. I had written in the first draft chunks from Mark's point of view but it was small and I think the book will be stronger if the story just comes from these two although Mark's own personal story is important and follows the same yaerning in a way. I don't think it needs to come from his voice if that makes sense.

So thanks to Lisa I am very clear on what these two women yearn for and on the obstacles in front of the them. What I now need to look at closely is the other things I have woven in incompletely (like C.S. Harris said in a comment yesterday - "I particularly hate those spots I skipped for some reason and now have to fill in." - hah what was I thinking at the time ) There are two key parts of the story that I have left incomplete and I need to decide if they are really necessary to the story or a just a distraction from it.

In the interim of course I will continue to chip away at my terrible typos.......

Rewrite Blues

You can see by the side bar that I am making some progress but it is slow - in fact, it is slow and painful. Why you ask, as I have been singing the praises of editing? Well, this edit is almost purely for language - ie sentence structure, unbelievable typos and just plain gobbledygook. These things have never been my strong point and never will be so right now the process is moving like treacle/molasses. I am hopeful that once I have cleaned the script up a bit it will make sense and I can have fun with it again......please

Things That Surprise You

Today was the dh's birthday. He spent above the atlantic on his way to Texas and in fact is still doing that as I type. I spent the day editing, viewing the villa we will one day have and visiting friends. We I finally came back to the hotel I found this......

I have to say I was surprised and quite touched on his behalf......it didn't taste too bad either! Shame he wasn't here to enjoy it......

Friday Link

Friday is now my Sunday which is very weird. I know I have done this before.....yet three years ago my weekend was Thursday (being Saturday) and Friday (being Sunday). I eventually got my head around it. Now the weekend has changed here - Friday is still Sunday as stores open later and things are quiet and we do church yet Saturday is Saturday - novel I know- but the weekend is backwards. It's very bizarre having your Sunday before your Saturday if you know what I mean.

Thanks to writer Susie Vereker I popped over to journalist Danuta Kean's blog where she is talking about how important or not blogging is for novelists. It's an interesting read and what hit me most was the comment about it must be authentic voice and its about building relationships. It made me think about why I blog. I blog to be in a community - a community of writers and readers. Why do you blog?

Snowy in Dubai

First I have to thank Jan Jones for prompting me on the title of today's post. Here Snowy revives himself with a little drink (many Dubai cats prefer water from the tap which was very puzzling when he first deigned to live with us five years ago).
So here's Snowy checking out the accommodation and the view.

My work space is becoming a favorite spot of his.

I think he looks settled in, don't you?