This Writer's Life...
Happy Halloween!
I'm a Brit so I do nothing to celebrate Halloween. Nothing at all. I 'may' see some trick or treaters this evening but as I live on a road that goes nowhere, it's unlikely.
I may see a few fireworks but that's unlikely too as most people wait for Bonfire Night.
There are Halloween goodies in the shops - piled next to the Christmas stuff - but I pass them by without giving them a second glance. …
The Muse
Have I been procrastinating today? Let me just say that this has been doing the rounds on blogs, Facebook and Twitter and it is exactly what I need right now...
Have a great weekend!
Bah humbug!
I tried to buy a birthday card and, when I finally found the dark corner where the store manager had hidden them, I was given a choice of half a dozen uninspiring efforts. Why? Because it's almost impossible to move for red-nosed reindeer, cheerful snowmen and hat-wearing robins. Yes, folks, it seems that Christmas is imminent.
Supermarkets are crammed with Christmas puddings, tins of festive biscuits and mince pies that boast a sell-by date of mid-November. …
Isn't technology great?
I've spent a large portion of today looking for this website. Yes, really. I could see it on the internet but it wasn't showing up anywhere on my computer. It had vanished. Lost and gone forever. It was an ex-website.
The air turned blue. Copious amounts of coffee were consumed. Files don't just vanish, do they? I hadn't emptied the Trash for weeks but it wasn't lurking there. Truly, it was nowhere to be found.
…
Hidden
Has anyone been watching BBC1's Hidden? The third episode aired last night and the grand finale will grace our screens on Thursday. It stars Philip Glenister and I'd happily watch him read the phone directory. Hidden is billed by the BBC as a "conspiracy thriller centred around a small-time solicitor who is forced to revisit his murky past".
I enjoy a good conspiracy thriller, and I enjoy watching Philip Glenister, but I'm struggling to keep track of this one. …
Welcome W. Soliman
Today, I'm delighted to welcome lovely lady and talented author W. Soliman - aka Wendy Soliman - to my blog. So pull up a chair, help yourself to coffee and cupcakes and give her a warm welcome.
Take it away, Wendy!
Hi, Shirley. Thanks so much for inviting me onto your blog.
Let me tell you a bit about myself. I was brought up on the Isle of Wight, the sailing capital of England, but did my best to have as little as possible to do with boats. …
Friday's Fragments
First, I want to thank everyone for the wedding anniversary wishes. I've marked the date in my diary so I 'shouldn't' forget it next year. Watch this space!
Last night, we went to see funny man Peter Kay in Manchester. It was the Tour that Doesn't Tour Farewell Tour and if you get the chance, I recommend you go and see him. (If you don't get chance, the DVD will be available in November.) …
An anniversary
This time last year, I opened a card from my sister and watched the colour drain from hubby's face as he read the words: "Happy Anniversary". The look of shock was still on his face as he muttered something about needing to go out. Yup, he'd forgotten our anniversary (he actually claims he hadn't forgotten it, he'd simply forgotten to do anything about it ... um, right). He suffered for that. …
Did you see this?
Readers and writers, do you know about Kindlegraph? It's a way that anyone with a Twitter account can get a signed eBook (so long as the author is registered). At first, I thought it was a waste of time. I mean, really, who wants a signed eBook? Well, quite a few people, it seems, and I'm totally hooked. It's great fun and I already have quite a collection of signed books. A bunch of us mystery and suspense writers at …
The self-publishing route
All people seem to be talking about at the moment is self-publishing and I can certainly see the attraction for authors. The main ones being control over your own destiny and, perhaps more important, a bigger chunk of the sales monies.
Even the awesome Talli Roland, hugely talented writer of humorous romantic fiction, is self-publishing her next book. (If you haven't read her books, you should. …
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