A Likely Story

Sunday, 25 August 2013

Breezing in!

That’s me – just breezing in with nothing particular to say, but to point you in the direction of some interesting posts.

First of all there’s Paula’s posting where she includes a short film by Jane Wenham-Jones which is very worth watching – and the first in a series. See it here.

And over at Rena’s blog there is writing news and Rena is giving away her novel, “Danger at Mellin Cove” free on Kindle up to and including 26^th August. Be quick! You can get it here.

I always enjoy Maria’s posts at Gaelikaa’s Diary about her life in India. I’m amazed she hasn’t been snapped up by a magazine to write a regular column. You can read her latest post here about the Hindu festival, Raksha Bandhan. Fascinating!

As for me, I found out this week that my little grandkidlets aren’t going back to school as early as I thought – we have two extra days and I am ridiculously pleased about that (I suspect even more pleased than they are).

Meanwhile, Indy is teaching Fizz the Ways of the Cadge.

Copy me, Grasshopper. Just sit and gaze hungrily in her general direction.

Did they get treats? What do you think?

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend!

Saturday, 17 August 2013

Summer Holidays!

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer holidays! As always they seem to be rushing by too fast and I know for some, they are over already.

It annoys me no end that you see these “Back to school” signs everywhere for everything from stationery to shoes. I well remember coming over all depressed and miserable in the school holidays as soon as the “Trutex” adverts came on telly. Remember those?

They went something like, “Trutex, Trutex – we love Trutex shirts… and blouses!” With all these kids looking deliriously happy to be going back to school. Pah! Best years of your life? I think not.

I asked one of my grandsons what his favourite thing to do in the holidays was, thinking we were in for another trip to Clacton pier perhaps, or the beach and he immediately said “Boat trip!”

So we did.

If you’re ever in the Felixstowe/Shotley/Harwich area and particularly if the weather is good, I recommend a trip on the Foot Ferry. It’s only a short crossing and you can stay until the next crossing (about two hours), come straight back or make your way back by road. They do river tours too.

And if you go to Shotley at the weekend, the HMS Ganges museum is open on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

It isn’t far from Erwarton which, legend has it, is where Anne Boleyn’s heart was buried in a heart shaped box – not Joe Hill’s Heart Shaped Box which is a completely different kettle of fish - or even completely different heart shaped box.

We went on Wednesday and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day. The water in the harbour was as flat and still as glass and the sun was hot.

We saw this again! It never fails to make me laugh. No, not the tree, look closer. I've posted a picture of this on here before.

There was even time for making sandcastles.

And now it is blowing a gale which is probably why the Fizzlet has been going so crazy! Why do cats always go mad just before the wind blows?

Hardly seems possible she’s gone from this…

To this…

Indy still enjoys going for walks - sometimes! Sometimes he'd rather stay home and snooze the day away on the sofa. He does what he wants to do and that's what it's all about isn't it.

Thursday, 8 August 2013

Win a copy of Handy Hints for Writers!

Just popping in to post news of a competition running over at I Should Be Writing.

If you get the writing magazines, you’ll already be familiar with Lynne Hackles; fellow fiction writer, brilliant writing tutor and fantastic writer of books about writing!

Lynne is giving away a copy of her new book, Handy Hints for Writers and it’s really easy to enter. Just leave a comment on Lynne’s blog even if you just say hello and her lovely LSO will draw a name out of a hat in a week’s time.

I’m going to enter because Lynne’s books always touch the writer in me.

Also I wanted to mention Helen's post over at Fiction is Stranger than Fact where you can find out how you can help Rowan Coleman raise £10,000 for Refuge and the #supportafriend campaign.

And just to be boring, here’s Fizz (escapee, part-time shark, early (very) morning alarm clock, killer of feet and surprisingly slender considering the amount of dog food she ~~steals~~ eats) too young at four months to put herself on the shelf?

Saturday, 3 August 2013

The Heat is On!

Well maybe not quite as on as it was!

I wasn’t going to blog this week, but here’s something writing related I think you’ll enjoy!

You can read the first two chapters of Eight Degrees by Amanda Timoney starting here. Each character has their own blog and there's a link on each one to the next part of the story.

Spent an afternoon at Flatford Mill last weekend. I haven’t been there since I was pregnant with my youngest son and have been meaning to go back for ages. No excuse really as it’s only about 15 miles away.

Everywhere was incredibly green and lush considering these photos were taken before we had any rain! My beloved is behind that tree. Can you see him?

Friday, 26 July 2013

Summertime!

Sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, this has to be one of my favourite songs of all time. Never fails to make my skin tingle however many times I listen to it. And it is a perfect song for a heatwave.

Also perfect for hot weather, for the rest of the summer my novellas, Buckets and Spades

and Hell and High Water

will be at the special price of 77p each on Amazon. They will also be at the lowest set price in all other countries.

Fizz says It’s too darned hot for dogs like me! Yes, that's right, when she isn't being Shere Khan, she thinks she's a springer spaniel.

Thursday, 18 July 2013

1976 / 2013

I remember 1976. I was still a teenager. Life was good and the sun was hot.

We had an invasion of ladybirds and some said they would bite you to get moisture from your body. I can’t say I was ever bitten or that I knew anyone else who was – but I do remember being decorated in ladybirds for much of that summer!

Also I got my first kittens in 1976.

Leo…

And Star...

I got two as company for each other as I was out at work all day and I’d nip home in my lunch break to feed them. I’ll never forget coming down the road to see them both swinging on my net curtains. Bless. They loved to watch the world go by and I knew the time would come when I’d have to let them out into the big wide world.

Star was dumb and couldn’t make a sound, but he could purr with the best of them. He was a very affectionate and loving little chap and he had a magnificent tail!

He went missing when he was a year old and we never saw him again. The local newspaper even did a piece about him, but to no avail.

Leo was bereft without Star. Enter Huggy, orphaned feral kitten who hadn’t a clue when it came to personal hygiene.

But Leo took care of him and taught him the ways of a cat.

And Huggy fixed Leo’s broken heart.

Huggy was beautiful, but always had that wild streak and he used to stay away for days on end until eventually he stopped coming home. I used to see him sometimes and he always looked healthy and content.

So, once again we have a heatwave + kitten = windows shut!

We’re all roasting. When Fizz goes to sleep, we rush round opening all the windows. I’ll be glad when she can start going outside… except I know I won’t, because I’ll be worrying until she comes home!

How grown up is she looking now?

If you like stories about animals (and their people), you might like You Can’t Love a Stranger and Other Stories which will be at the special price of 77p Amazon UK and also on special on Amazon for the next week. (Note to Indy: I still managed to get a photo of you and Tilly in amongst all these cats!)

Stay cool!

Monday, 15 July 2013

Summer Loving!

Summer Loving for 99c/77p

Read more about this fantastic offer at the Minxes of Romance.

I’m thrilled to be part of this special promotion of six ebooks each at the special price of 99c from Amazon and 77p from Amazon UK which lasts until the 18th July.

The books are:

Aimee Duffy & Michelle Smart - Once Upon a Twist