Tag Archives: #insights

Meet The Author 2025 – pt 3

A lotus flower

The last few years have been beyond challenging on a personal level and in a creative sense as time moved on I became further and further stuck in the mud and the words refused to flow freely. Now, over the past few months, the lotus blossom is slowly emerging from the mud and the words are beginning to flow. I’m hoping in time to see the lotus bloom in time🪷

I’ve thought about this one on and off all day. .. 🤔

I’ve always been open on my Author page and my blog about myself so it’s beyond difficult to think of something that I’ve not already shared

As its mental health awareness week, it feels right to say that my key coping mechanism is journaling. I’ve kept a daily diary since 1982 but over recent years have journaled extensively. Maybe one day I’ll share them with the world.

I get the most support from my friends and family. Without my Infamous Five I wouldn’t have got this far. I draw support from this Facebook author community and from the lovely reviews that are left online for my book babies. Those honest words help to fuel the fire of my creativity.

The dream would be to see my books on the shelves in bookstores.

For now the immediate dream is to get book baby 9 over the line. It’s getting there but it’s just taking more time than I’d like.

Oh…. 🤔

Respected, entertaining and heartfelt

As for where you can find more of my words….Amazon or here on my blog 😀

Summer This or That…just for fun

Beach or Pool?

Beach every time! Love the feel of the warm sand under my toes, the sound of the waves crashing ashore and the breeze off the ocean. Bliss!

Bookstore or Library?

Bookstore. I gave up going to the library a very long time ago because I ended up in the bookstore buying the books I’d borrowed and returned from the library. I need my own copies. I’m weird that way.

Ice Cream or Popsicles?

To be honest, I can live without either but I do enjoy the occasional vegan ice cream.

Sunset or Sunrise?

Ideally both. I’m greedy that way! I love the peace of a beach sunrise that promises a new day ahead. I also love the weary warmth of a beautiful sunset at the end of a perfect day.

Walks on the beach or Hikes in the mountains?

Walks on the beach. I love grounding myself with a walk along the beach. I love the feeling of the damp sand under my bare feet and the ocean waves gently lapping over my skin.

Ebook/Audiobook or Actual Book?

Ebook generally, especially if I’m travelling or sitting on the beach or outside in the sun. I love an actual book too but never ever an audiobook.

Get up early or Sleep in late?

Get up early, some mornings earlier than others. I’ve never been one for sleeping late unless I’m ill.

Fireworks or Fireflies?

I associate fireflies/lightning bugs with summer. I love to watch them flitting about at dusk whenever I get the chance. Fireworks mean Gut Fawkes Night and winter to me.

Sports or Concert?

No surprises with this answer – concert! I love my live music.

Bookmark or Dog Ear?

Bookmark…always bookmark. Readers who dog ear pages should be banned from bookstores and libraries for life!

Meet the Writer 2025 – pt 2

Oh good question! Being settled at my writing desk after dinner with my favourite playlist on definitely helps. Thinking through what I plan to write while I’m out walking also helps. If I’m not in the mood to work on my current book baby, I’ll write something else but I try to always write something daily

Music, the beach, love….

These are the themes at the heart of all my book babies so far along with believable characters for you to fall in love with.

Oh this is a cruel question.

In all honesty, I’m happy at having written my own. I’m me so why would I want to have written anyone else’s? I might only earn pennies in royalties most months but I’m proud to have written my own books and to have told my stories

A friend shared the photo below on their Facebook feed as I was starting my writing journey 12 years ago and it struck a chord. It’s been my mantra ever since.

I think the answer to this depends on where you consider to be unusual. I’ve written at work in my lunchbreak, on trains and planes, in the airport, on the beach and in cafes too. All felt normal to me.

to be continued….

Meet the Writer 2025 – part 1

For the third year in succession, I recently took part in Beth Kempton’s Meet the Writer online challenge. Fifteen prompts/questions over fifteen days that will hopefully give you a bit of an insight into my creative world. As before I’ll split this across three blogs.

I love creating and developing my characters and getting to know them. I love creating their world. In my current work in progress, I’ve enjoyed losing myself in my fictitious view of the San Bernadino mountains. It gives me somewhere to escape to as I write and takes me away from my day-to-day mundane world. I hope in time my readers will enjoy escaping into the mountains too.

Much as I love to sit outdoors and write, this is my usual cluttered creative corner. My traditional writing desk sits in the corner of my living room. I upgraded to this a few years back. Before that I sat at my kitchen table to work.

Evenings have evolved to become my writing time. I endeavour to carve out a couple of hours a night during the week and take what I can manage at the weekends. I journal daily and keep a diary so there’s some form of writing involved in every single day

I love writing in any season but as the days grow warmer and the nights are lighter, I love being able to write outdoors.

If I’m writing a novel I need 5 identical notebooks so that the first draft is all in books the same. I like turquoise, pink or purple ink to write with unless I’m writing my Silently Watching vampire angel tale. I’m that case the notebooks and ink should be green. Poems and blogs I tend to write in pencil. I also need Alexa or some source of music nearby

to be continued….