The Mini Library

I have recently found myself with the distinct luxury of having a 'spare' room.  My son has flown the nest and so it is time to decide what to do with the space he left behind.  After much pondering (well actually not a lot of pondering at all really) I have decided to create my own little library.  Being a writer goes hand in hand with being an avid reader also and having a house with its own library has always been a little dream of mine.
Now as I have said before my house is not big so this is not going to be anything like the grand plan I would like it to be, but it's a start!  I have been scouring the internet for ideas for this room but I think basically I'm just going to fill it with books - oh and a sofa! Whereas the writing corner was to be light and airy and inspirational I want the reading room to be warm and cosy; somewhere to snuggle with a good book!  Here are a few of the images I've found of some very creative idea's of others..............

As you can see there are some ideas here that haven't been thwarted by size, odd shaped walls or even stairs, therefore my relatively square room should be a doddle! Obviously the main ingredient is going to be books, so at the top of all birthday and Christmas lists from now on is going  to be book tokens!  I'm already looking forward to many a happy hour scouring the book shops!  I'm really excited about getting started with this project - as you've probably gathered - although it is going to be something for later in the summer.  Updates will be provided!

Happy reading everyone!

Kim

The writing Corner

For those of you who read my blog regularly you will know that I am currently in the process of redecorating my house, not a huge project when you consider the size of the place (it's tiny!), but I bought the place from an old lady in her nineties and suffice to say the place was built in 1981 and there it has stayed ever since!  This last year I have been re vamping the downstairs and am pleased to report that the task is nearly finished and hopefully no longer a distraction for my writing.

I have been without a designated writing area for about six months now, which at the start I didn't think would really be a problem, I have a laptop so surely I could park myself anywhere and carry on writing?  This unfortunately has not proven to be the case and it is only now that I have my little writing corner back that I really appreciate how much I missed it!  I have read blogs from other writers speaking of the merits of creating your own writing space and now I fully understand what they mean, although different writers seem to like different things included in their 'space'.  So, here is what is essential for me..............

Firstly although I am not really an antique kind of person both the bureau and the clock belonged to my Grandad and are here out of sentimentality more than anything else.  I'm sure Grandad would be pleased to see them both still in use.  (I can still picture him sat here, sorting out his papers - he was much more methodical than me.)

Next, no window.  Others have said how inspiring the right view can be, but for me I think having my writing area by the window would be just too much of a distraction.  Instead I have two pictures (with more to go up) that are there for inspiration purposes.  The first is of my wonderful Grandchildren Darcie and Henry.  I started to write the Prudence books when I learned that my daughter was expecting my first grandchild, Darcie and she and her little brother now are still a constant source of inspiration.  The other picture is by local photographer, Ray Mears and is called 'Woodland Walk'.  I love pictures of trees and intend to get more to go up around the house.

Next to the clock is my scentsy, which for those of you who don't know is a device for melting scented wax without having to use a naked flame - much safer to have especially when you have cats in the house.  I am currently enjoying a 'by the sea' moment - very inspiring!  Flowers are another option to create the right aromatic mood, but again when you have cats, especially the clumsy pair that I have, flowers around electrical equipment is not a good combination!

And finally the one ingredient always needed to ensure a productive writing session - a cup of tea!

So that's it, I have my writing corner and this is where I intend to stay for the rest of the day.  Let me know if you feel there are any vital things that I have missed that you would have in your writing space.

Happy writing,

Kim

Mini Menopausal Meltdown!

I mentioned in my last post (Yes, I know this was back in January!) that 2015 had been something of a stressful time; setting myself the target of getting two books finished that year as well as having lots of other stuff going on in my life - the day job, the continued effort of trying to lick my house into shape on limited funds, and dealing with what my Gran would have called 'being at that 'funny' age'.  I think we give it the more affectionate term 'the menopause' these days.  Now I don't want to be all dark and dismal, but to be quite honest the menopause sucks!  Mood swings have been marvellous things, I've been going from being happy, buzzing with idea's and inspiration to 'what the heck am I bothering with all this for?' at the flick of a switch. I know that writing can do this to you anyway; writing highs and lows are part of the process, but throw a few raging hormones into the mix and, well, lets just say it's probably a good thing I live on my own! There are no two ways about it I have been a grumpy old mare at times!
I'm not about to now tell you all the wonderful things I've done to combat this stress because, to be quite honest I haven't.  I've done what most people do, carry on regardless, but since my last blog post in January I have hardly written a word.  In my head the third and final volume of the Prudence trilogy is formatted and finished, but every time I sit down to actually write anything I end up staring at my laptop for about half an hour and then going off to make a cup of tea and not going back!  It probably doesn't help that Prudence is in a bit of a dark place in her story as well.
My sleep pattern seems to be all over the place too, hence why I am sat here at ten to one in the morning writing this post when I know that tomorrow, at work at about three I'll be desperate for a little re-charge nap.
 Getting back into writing will be the perfect tonic for me, that much is obvious but that is the common sense side of me talking and the hormones can be very argumentative when it comes to common sense. Who needs common sense when your hormones are quite determined that now is the time for a little unnecessary meltdown?
There have been some positives, it's not all doom and gloom on the writing front, some little things  have happened to stop me from giving up completely on the whole writing process( and a little encouragement goes a long way).  Recently a friend told me how she had gone to see her granddaughter and had arrived to find her curled up and engrossed in my book.  Little things like that mean so much.  It may seem trivial, but to me this was a real little person who was enjoying spending some time with Prudence, - what more could any writer ask for?
So here I am, digging in and trying to swim against the tide of my hormones!  If anyone has any hints about surviving the menopause with your sanity intact please let me know.  I'll be the one sat in the corner staring at my laptop and talking to the cat..............


Kim

No resolutions for 2016

This time last year I wrote a post called reflections and resolutions about my plans for 2015.  I have just read it back to see how I held up to all my grand aspirations.  Mostly, I have to say, I didn't do too badly.  My main aim was to get the second volume of the Prudence books published and also to publish one of the ghost stories I had on the back burners from ages ago.  I succeeded in both of these although I did go for a different ghost story to the one I had originally intended.  (I must add though that on the 'eat less chocolate' thing I failed miserably!)

So if last years resolutions turned out okay, why the reticence on making any for this year?  To put things in perspective I think 2015 was the first year I have set my resolutions and actually stuck to them.  I usually find that whilst I am busy making bold ambitious plans to get fit, loose weight, publish my first book, Fate is usually standing right behind me, laughing and saying, "Yeh, that's what you think!"  You find yourself by the end of January back in your usual routine wondering how that happened whilst Fate just stands there chuckling
 It was challenging trying to get two books finished and published in one year and I don't think it is something that will happen again in a hurry.  Whilst I enjoyed the challenge (despite the stress, the moments of frustration and the many, many "Why am I bothering?" lows) 2016 is definitely going to be a more laid back year for me.  I am a bit of a selfish writer; I write primarily for me, because I enjoy it, and that's what I want to get back to.  It is all well and good setting yourself goals, but if those goals are just too unrealistic, no amount of optimism or self belief will combat the feeling of failure when all your ambitious plans crumble around you.  Yes, I know I'm sounding very depressing, but that's the way resolutions often work; it all sounds great at the time, but so many unexpected things can get in the way of your plans and frustration is not a good working partner.

So, 2016 I have no idea what you have in store for me, we'll just have to wait and see.  That is not to say I don't have my hopes and plans for the year, it is more that I'm not going to stress over what I should be doing rather than what I want to do.  Hmmm does that sound like a kind of resolution?  Oh dear!

 Good luck to everyone who has made resolutions for the year; I hope they work out for you whatever they may be.  And good luck to me in my efforts to be more chilled!

Kim

Merry Christmas and a ghost story!

Just a quick one to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and to let you all know that the ghost story 'What it Takes' is now available on Kindle or in paperback through Amazon or direct through Createspace.  My aim was to have this ready before Christmas and hey I've done it on schedule - just! Definitely worth a celebration.  I'd love for you to take a look and tell me what you think - don't forget that you can 'borrow' all of my books for free on kindle.
Thanks everyone and once again a very Merry Christmas to you all.

Kim

What it Takes - A Ghost Story

Hello everyone I know my posts are few and far between, but there is a reason for this - I've been writing!  I decided I would like to get one of my ghost stories ready for Christmas so this has been occupying most of my time.  So far, dare I say it, I appear to be on schedule so I thought I would do a little post on what to expect from this story.
First of all, this is not a Stephen King type horror story it's more of a romantic, ghost mystery and it is set in one of my favourite corners of the UK, Cumbria.  Anyone who has visited this area will know that it is beautiful; mountains, lakes and forests combining to provide the perfect atmospheric background for a ghost story.

So, what is it about?  Well, here's a brief synopsis.

Haughley House has a dark secret; a secret it has kept hidden for a long time - until now.  Sarah Kendrick, driven by a long held fascination for the house and with the help of her partner, Tom Harper finally uncovers the truth behind Haughley's sinister past.  It is a quest and a discovery that she and Tom will come to regret, for within hours of discovering this truth, Sarah is dead - another victim of Haughley's secret and Tom is plunged into a nightmare existence from which he can see no escape.  He has no one to turn to, no one to talk to, because he knows simply that no one will believe him.  He hides the real cause of Sarah's death from everyone including her family, because he can't inflict that pain on them.  The real truth of what killed her is a truth he must bear alone.
His one consolation in all of this, if it can be called that, is that Haughley House stands empty; all its dark past hidden from the world by its isolation and whilst ever it remains that way it can be a threat to no one else.  So, as Tom tries to come to terms with the loss of his beloved Sarah all he can do is pray that the house remains that way for a long time to come.
Three years later all his hopes come crashing down around him when Haughley House is sold - to a successful architect from London who plans to restore the place and settle there.  Tom's dark nightmares return to haunt him, the tragedy of Sarah's death reawakened in him, but worse is to come when the architect, Sean Hanlon, becomes involved with Sarah's sister, Karen.  Tom can only watch uselessly as Sean and Karen quickly fall in love, knowing that now only he can save Karen from the same terrible fate that befell Sarah.  Only he can protect her, and he is determined to do whatever it takes, whatever it costs to ensure that Karen doesn't become simply another victim of the malice that lies waiting in Haughley House.
But, Sean Hanlon has done some research of his own into the secrets of Haughley House and in the end when Tom's despair finally overwhelms him it is down to Sean to protect the woman he loves, and through her discover that Tom and Sarah only found half of Haughley's secret and that the real truth is more tragic and more dangerous than even they realised.

Okay, so that's it for now - I hope this has whetted your appetite a little!  Watch this space for more detail on when it should be available.

Thanks for reading!

Kim

Flooding the market with trash?

I recently read an article about the way self-publishing was allowing the market to become awash with poor writers producing sub-standard work that would never normally see the light of day  This article has plagued me for some time now.  Some good points were made and we have to acknowledge that not all writers are going to be good enough to retire to their country estate and watch the world go by based on the profits from the sales of their books, but should that really be a reason to stop writing?
Both the Prudence books are so far down on the Amazon bestseller list that they are not even a blip on the horizon, so should I just call it quits and find some other 'hobby'?
I have to admit that since becoming a part of this merry band of sub-standard writers I have been amazed by just how many others there are out there following the same path as me. Actually it's a little bit scary just how much competition there is out there!
So what makes us carry on?  We have two, three or more books out there that are going nowhere fast, why write more?  I suppose we have to examine the reasons why we write.  I can't speak for everyone else of course, but here is a little insight into why I will probably never stop.
Firstly it is something I have always done and when I say always I mean just that.  I first started making up stories when I was very young for my two brothers.  I then progressed on to making up episodes for my favourite t.v. shows.  These rarely got as far as being written down (obviously no computers back then - I am that old!), but it allowed me to carry on story time in my head even after 'lights out'!  As I got older I started writing down scraps of ideas for stories on any bits of paper I could get hold of.  I was pretty average at school but English literature and language were always my favourite and my strongest subjects.
I didn't actually finish a complete novel until the mid 1990's after having started the story shortly after I got married in 1981.  I found it the other day, hidden away in a cupboard and long forgotten.  to be honest that is where it should have stayed; it was rubbish.  The story itself was not bad and there were no gaping plot holes or anything like that, it was just that it was very poorly written and most of the characters were a little wooden and 'samey'.  However the very fact that I can look at it now and see my mistakes means that I have grown as a writer; that I have learned along the way and hopefully will continue to do so.  Still, I can not forget the feeling I got when I finally got the thing finished; the excitement, the sense of achievement, it was amazing.
And, that is the feeling I get whenever I write.  That is why I write.  Remember in a previous post I referred to this quote; 'if you can't find the book you want to read on the shelf, write it.'?  That's what I'm doing and I suppose this is the crux of why I'm writing; it's not really for anyone else it's just for me.  If anyone else wants to share the journey with me well that's great, there's plenty of room, hop on board, but if you don't that's fine too, there are plenty of others out there to hitch a ride with.
I think that probably the person who wrote the article that has prompted this post could be slightly missing the point of why most of us write.  I, for one am never going to set the world on fire with my literary genius, but I don't think that has ever been my intention, it is just that it is so much a part of me, so ingrained that I just don't think I could turn my back on it now, or ever.  Even if I did, a lot of my idea's come from dreams that I've had so if I did try to make a conscious effort to stop writing I don't think my sub-conscious would give up without a fight!
So my message today,
as always:

Don't be negative
Keep writing
Stay happy

Kim