Wordy Wednesday with Missy Sheldrake

This week's Wordy Wednesday takes us across the pond to meet Missy Sheldrake,an author and artist from Virginia, USA. She released her first novel, Call of Kythshire, in March of 2015. When she isn’t writing about them, she’s probably drawing fantasy scenes from her books or sculpting fairy art dolls. She is a formally trained painter and illustrator, and enjoys storytelling through a variety of media.

Missy's books are worlds of fantasy, where fairies are stewards of the sources of magic called Wellsprings. One such fairy, named Flit, befriends a human squire named Azaeli, in an effort to maintain the safety of the Wellsprings under the threat of greedy Sorcerers who seek to drain their power...

So we delve into a world of sprites and magic, but still tea and biscuits or course because, well, we are talking to an author! And so let's begin.

Missy, Why did you start writing?
I love to read, and I was always looking for novels with fairies in them. The only ones I could find were either very old fairy tales that tended to be mostly about fairies helping people or tricking people, or modern fairy stories that had strange concepts about fairies that didn’t really fit my own vision for them.

I found two different books that boasted fairies on the cover, but then when I read them, the fairies were just quick glimpses and the story was really about the human characters. I wanted to write a book where the plot revolved completely around the fairies so I could showcase how magical and diverse the concept of these creatures can be. You can do a whole lot with fairies if you have an open mind, and they can affect your human characters in very exciting ways if you allow them to.

After a stint of reading some modern dystopian YA fiction, I realized that there was nothing really keeping me from telling the stories I wanted to tell, and writing the stories I was so eagerly searching to read.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
A quiet house, a cup of coffee or chai tea, and some good music. My recent books were inspired by Sia, Black Keys, Rubblebucket, and All Time Low.


Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I try to write every day. My son and I are both early risers, so my routine is to get up and brew a coffee or espresso and sit right down at my desk to get out the ideas that I had when I woke up. For him it’s homework time, so I can usually get 1000 or so words written during that time. Then I take a walk after I send him off to school, and that gets my creativity going for the second round of writing before lunch.

If I’m having a block, I’ll go to my studio and work on a doll or an illustration for the book, and that usually helps get me through.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Since this is a British blog and I’m American, I’ll assume you’re talking about cookies, haha! My favorite packaged cookies are Oreos. My favorite homemade cookies are peanut butter kisses, which are peanut butter cookies with a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss pressed onto the top while they’re still warm.(oh now you are making me hungry! I love homemade biscuits/cookies)

Where do you do most of your writing?
Last summer, I painted a lot of murals for a pediatrician’s office. With the spoils from my summer of painting, I bought a new desk for my living room. I love my new desk and I do most of my writing there. Sometimes if I need to escape from laundry and the insistent energy of my very large dog, Cali, I’ll pack up my laptop and go to a local cozy Korean bakery for a coffee and a pastry.(that sounds so perfect, like something from a movie)

What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I just finished Outage by my friend Ellisa Barr, and I’m currently reading her second book, Voyage. Both are really interesting YA reads exploring scenarios in the aftermath of electromagnetic pulse attacks which destroy the countries power grid and send the US back to the dark ages.

I don’t read much while I’m writing. I like to keep my ideas fresh and not risk others’ ideas leaking into my work.

Have you had a good or bad 2015?
My 2015 was a mixed bag. I had an epic vacation with my family in June in Florida and got to visit Universal Studios to see the World of Harry Potter. We spent a few days at Disney World, too, which is my absolute favorite. Then I broke my foot in Sept and ended up sitting on the couch for 3 months. The good news is I got a lot of writing done. The bad news is that I succumbed to the Oreos, and now I have a lot of running to do to make up for it.(that made me laugh, sorry about the foot but sitting on the couch eating biscuits and writing does sound good)

Do you have writing plans for 2016? Are they secret or could you share a teaser?
Oh, 2016! How I’m looking forward to this year! I am about halfway through writing book three of the Keepers of the Wellsprings series. In this book, I’ve introduced a third point of view character, but she only pops in every eighth chapter or so. She’s a very interesting character: A scrappy street-rat type, who is eventually caught in a Sorcerer’s spell and becomes his thrall. I’m really enjoying getting to know her.

I’m hoping to release book three before the summer. The series was meant to be a trilogy when I started it, but there is so much more story to tell that I’m almost certain I’ll be releasing a fourth before 2017.

If you could have any job in the world except being an author, what would you choose and why?I would be a Disney Animator. Though I enjoy writing, I love storytelling via art so much more. My books are filled with colorful illustrations of the scenes I write about, and if you look at them you’ll see that I try hard to emulate the Disney style.

I have always loved Disney, and I often wish that I had pursued the path of animator way back in the days when I was choosing my life’s path.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of a lettuce butterfly, with iridescent leafy wings that would brighten up a salad..though it would be sad to eat them.
A porcupineapple! Look out for the quills! (Ooh all ready to add cheese to! Perfect for parties)

If you could take any fictional character out for lunch, who would you choose and why? And where do you think you'd go to eat?
I am so heartbroken over Alan Rickman…it would have to be Professor Snape in between the last two Harry Potter books. I’d give him a good cheering up and a hug. I think at that point in time he’d really need a good friend’s shoulder.

Call of Kythshire (Keepers of the Wellsprings Book One) is available from Amazon

The existence of the fairies of Kythshire is a secret kept for over a century...

Azaeli has trained from a young age in order to follow in her parents' footsteps and become a Knight of His Majesty's Elite. When she finally becomes a Squire, her name is mysteriously left off of the list for the King's Quest. Her parents set off without her, but the simple quest goes awry leaving tragedy in its wake. With the help of her lifelong friend, Rian, a Mage apprentice, Azaeli must unravel a sinister plot that threatens both the existence of Kythshire and the peace that her people have celebrated for generations.

Call of Sunteri (Keepers of the Wellsprings Book Two)

A magical novel for teens and adults alike, with full-color illustrations by the author.

Azaeli Hammerfel has been named a knight, and is thrilled to be on her first true quest alongside her parents' guild. Their journey to see Prince Eron and his expecting wife safely to Lake Kordelya is shrouded with a sense of impending doom that tests the strength of His Majesty's Elite and the love that Azi and Rian, the Mage, share. When Kythshire's fairies find themselves a target of the same threat, an unlikely champion presents himself.

Tib Nullen has had a hard life. He's just twelve years old, but as a field slave in the Sorcerer-run country of Sunteri, he has seen more toil, loss, and cruelty than anyone should be made to endure. When tragedy strikes his family, Tib finds himself flung into a plot much bigger than he. In his struggle to make sense of his thoughts, which he fears are not fully his own, he learns he has a greater purpose: to help restore the Wellspring of Sunteri. 

Thank you Missy, for sharing your magical writing and your magical cookie recipe!

I hope that at least some of you reading this have been intrigued enough to check out the Wellspring books, why not catch up with Missy on her website,  her facebook page, or twitter

And if you've enjoyed this post please visit and like my facebook page, where you can add comments about the blog or just have a chat. Or follow my ramblings on twitter.

Smooshed Creme Egg Bakes - Neither big nor clever

*trigger warning for huge amounts of creme egg cake recipes

On social media and in the world of blogging it seems you cannot blink this Easter without another picture of a cake covered in broken Cadbury Creme Eggs.

For anyone visiting from Uranus, a creme egg is a chocolate and fondant confection of teeth rotting sweetness. The centre wittily resembles that of a real egg.

In my youth I too liked a creme egg at Easter, and like many before and since, I poked my tongue into the moist middle with delight. But as I've grown up my sweet tooth has diminished and the diabetic inducing sweet no longer appeals. That would be fine, and I could ignore them and get on with my life that except that the world has gone berserk adding the eggs to anything and everything claiming that it makes something tastier and more Easter themed. I blame Pinterest.

Well, adding creme eggs doesn't improve things. It just adds extra sugar, and the horrible look of a house attacked by angry trick or treaters (ooh idea for Halloween cakes - no! stop, enough). A smashed creme egg looks like a smashed egg, that is not attractive. They taste only of sugar and American disappointment.

And if you don't believe how prevalent this horror is just look at a few of these examples! We have chocolate brownies and they are delicious, they do not need the addition of gloop, but despite that a recipe exists with just that.

Brownies made by The Minis and Me

And as for a creme egg 'blondie'...well, I really have no words, a blondie is something I already view with some suspicion, to add a creme egg into this dubious American mess can only end badly.

Blondies via MamaMummyMum

Cakes, whole cakes, already a treat, chocolate flavoured and covered in icing (frosting) I'm fairly sure crushed  creme eggs all over the top are an unneeded gilding of the cocoa lily!

Cake from Chilling with Lucas

Cheesecake, cheesecake!, is there no end to the abomination that is the creme egg takeover! A cheese cake needs no extra, it is cheese, soft and delicious, maybe with a tart fruit addition, but a smooshed creme egg? No no no. Just no.

Cheesecake from MotherGeek

And breakfast, the first meal of the day, where we need some protein and goodness, do we need creme eggs? No we do not, and yet it seems there are those among us that think a creme egg will improve a croissant. A croissant! That sophisticated and chic French pastry of delicate buttery loveliness, just no.

Croissant from Californian Mum in London

And last and most unnecessary of all, the Scotch Egg Brownie. I'm not sure I can fully express my horror and disgust, to hide the runny candy egg within and innocent brownie casing, to trap the unwary nibbler with a horrific gooey mine...

Scotch Egg Brownies form Nobody Said it Was Easy

I am ashamed of you all - I am especially ashamed of those blog readers that are, even now, writing down some of those recipes for later. You are sick! Sick I say! (or you will be later) Stick to proper recipes using chocolate mini eggs like normal people.

Recipes for Easter like mini white chocolate nests,  or regular chocolate nests, or even chocolate mini egg fudge, these are for normal, good and proper people.

Chocolate nests from The Messy Blog

Thank you to all the bloggers who agreed to be featured in this round up of loathing and disgust. All photos used with permission from the original posts.

Come and chat over on Twitter or my Facebook page I'd love to hear from you

Easter Plans

It's nearly Easter holiday time! If you are a stay at home parent for any reason you might not feel the same frisson of excitement that I do, but this year I've booked a week off work and so I'm free to stay in bed until noon, drink cava for breakfast and have sex in the garden all afternoon  spend more time with the teen and the husband.

Said teen is a studious soul and currently studying for her GCSEs so I fear she'll be revising a fair bit but I'm hoping I can lure her out for some fun at least once or twice.

I have a few things that I have been wanting to do for a while, and while I know I won't be able to do them all I thought I'd list them so I don't forget and also so that if you had input on whether they were good or bad ideas you could tell me! Ditto if you have reviewed any of them in a blog post - please share! (You can't share here, I switched comments off, but let me know via Twitter or my Facebook page - that would be great - thanks)

First choice for me is Marwell Zoo. We have visited several times now as a family and always love it - even in the cold and rain, though I admit it's better on a dry day so the weather may play a part on this decision. We always learn something new, the cages and environments for the animals are really nice, I especially love watching the giraffes. It's about a 2 hour drive, so takes a bit of planning, but now that we no longer have the dogs at least we don't have to rush home to them.

I am sort of tempted to make the even longer drive to Longleat to drive the safari park, but I'm not sure that DH would stay sane all day in car with DD and me. I do love to watch the large carnivores in the park, particularly the wolves, but DH tends to get twitching and want to be getting on with things, I imagine we would be ill-matched on a safari park visit. I think that might need to be a trip we do when we visit family (who live closer to the park) or when we can camp or stay nearby so we are in the car less of the day.

Next is the Winchester Science Centre. DD and I were there for a blogging conference and so had no time to explore but enough time to whet our appetites. It's easy to get to, has lots of parking and is spacious inside. It didn't look too busy when we were there, but I'm not sure that would be true during a school holiday. Still DD really wants to go, she loves experimenting with stuff, I do wonder though if there is enough there for a day with a teenager? Maybe I could combine it with a trip into Winchester? Have you been? What did you think?

I would also love to make a trip to London. That's a 2 hour train ride away and therefore expensive, I may have to buy a railcard to make some sort of saving, especially since now that DD has turned 16 she counts as a grown up and has to pay not only on the train, but on London transport too - gone are the days of cheap days out to London. If we all go, and if we want to be in London before lunchtime it will cost us over £100 on tickets alone, so anything we do there will have to be free! I have thought about Tate Modern, DD and I have visited and really enjoyed it, DH has yet to experience it so that would be nice. If the weather was good a walk in the parks or by the river would be nice too. I am also looking at driving a large chunk of the way and parking just outside the centre, have you done that? I need to investigate parking and where is cheap, easy and safe! What other free London activities can you think of?

It's been a while since I've been to Brighton as a tourist and so I might think about doing the 'seaside day visitor' thing, with fish and chips on the pier, a walk along the promenade, a trip to the Marina and maybe the Pavilion. I could even squeeze in some shopping in the Laines or Churchill Square - particularly if I don't spend all my money on a trip to London! I know that lovely DD aka the teen, needs some new clothes for college in September and we did promise her a new 'college capsule wardrobe' (ooh there's a blog post just waiting to be written) so that would take up a day by itself.

During the entire week of course I will be drinking more alcohol than usual, staying up later, sleeping in longer and eating more chocolate than usual. It is a holiday after all. What will you be up to?

Come and chat over on Twitter or my Facebook page I'd love to hear from you

Wordy Wednesday's interview with Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat

I'm a bit excited today, this Wordy Wednesday is an author I contacted via twitter after seeing her book almost literally everywhere. Certainly in every book shop I went into for some weeks, and on social media where people were just raving about how good it was. Yes it's time to meet Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat.





Kate grew up in Pembrokeshire and after studying Art worked in television for over ten years, mainly on documentaries. She completed an MA in creative writing in Aberystwyth university and joined the Curtis Brown Creative programme. Her debut novel THE GIRL IN THE RED COAT was published by Faber & Faber in February 2015 and has sold in over ten other territories. Kate also won the Rhys Davies short story prize in 2011 and the story One Summer was broadcast on Radio 4. She has also had work published in short story anthologies such as ‘A Fiction Map of Wales’ and Seren’s ‘New Welsh Short Stories.’ She lives in Cardiff with her husband. THE GIRL IN THE RED COAT has been shortlisted for the John Creasy (new Blood) Dagger award and the Costa First Novel Prize. ‘The Girl in the Red Coat’ is being published in the US in February 2016 by Melville House.

I was quite excited to find out more about Kate and her writing, as always I looked into some of the practicalities of day to day writing, important topics like food and drink, and which genetic mutants are desirable...

When did you start writing? And why?
I started writing as a child – poems, little stories. Sometimes I’d make my own books and staple them together with illustrations. I guess that urge has never stopped. Why is a harder question. Maybe it’s an attempt to make sense of the world by turning it into a story, I’m not sure.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Strong coffee. A head that’s not full of worries. An inspirational novel. The latter I find the most important. I often will start the day reading a bit of something I think is brilliant. Even if you feel you’ll never come near it, it gives you something to aim for.

Are any people in your book based on people you know? And if so have you (would you) tell them?
They tend to be an amalgam of people I know, films I’ve seen and myself. There’s always an extra ingredient though and once they form properly they become completely themselves. It’s this ‘added extra’ that’s the magic piece of the puzzle which turns them into individuals. Where that comes from I haven’t a clue!

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes.
I write every day except Sundays and I aim for around 9 am until mid-afternoon to capture that golden morning energy. If it’s really not working I don’t keep on banging my head against a manuscript. I’ll go and cook something or go for a walk. Chances are I’ll be running back to the computer because the ideas have freed up again.

What’s the worst question anyone has ever asked you ever? And did you answer?
Actually I feel nearly all the questions I’ve been asked at events are interesting and come from a real curiosity about writing, this particular novel and books in general. Sometimes questions and comments really surprise me and I like that. I can’t think of anything terrible I’ve been asked except stuff that gives the plot away too much.

Kate Hamer

What are you favourite biscuits?
Arghhh, I’ve got a gluten allergy so my favourites have had to fall by the wayside. It would’ve been a Jaffa cake though (I know, I know, but I always thought of it as a biscuit – it’s the shape). I adored them and could easily get through half a packet in a sitting. (only half a packet? and what if I told you there were gluten free ones...)



Tea or coffee?
Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. And strong at that. Otherwise it’s not worth bothering with.(excellent choice, though when thirsty I like tea, I agree coffee is superior)

Where do you do most of your writing?
At my desk at home which was kindly given to me. If I’m having a ‘stuck’ day I might take it somewhere else – a café or the library. Quite a few of the scenes of ‘The Girl in the Red Coat’ were written in Cardiff Central Library.

What book are you reading at the moment?
I’m just about to start ‘The Forgetting Time’ by Sharon Guskin which looks great and I’m just on the last few pages of ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Toile.

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?
I started using Twitter just before I was published and amazed myself by taking to it like a duck to water. It’s funny, passionate, and the brevity of it is perfect. I use the #amwriting hashtag a lot and find Twitter is full of readers and writers. Often when I meet people at events it’ll be ‘hello, I know you from Twitter!’ I have a Facebook author page too because I know a lot of people prefer to use Facebook but that’s more infrequent. I’ve no idea if it helps sales or not but it’s great to engage with readers because that’s ultimately who I’m writing for!

If you could genetically cross an animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why?
What about a snamato? No idea what a snake and tomato would look like but I’ve just fallen in love with the word! (cute, red and shiny I assume, with a green forked tongue, it would leave that tomato smell on your hands...)

Do you celebrate Easter with chocolate? Plain, white or dark?
Always a Lindt Easter bunny. Always bite the ears off first. (slightly cruel, but lovely smooth chocolate, I hope you'll be enjoying some this weekend) 
 

Kate's cat, the observant among you may spot he's not 'real'

Thank you so much for taking part Kate, it's been great to have a little look behind the scenes.

And thank you for popping by dear blog reader, if you've enjoyed reading but need to comment, come over to chat on twitter or facebook.

You can grab a copy of The Girl in The Red Coat from all good book shops or online at Amazon etc. 

Cheerleading

My daughter is a cheerleader. She has been for several years now. When you think of cheerleaders I expect you think of short skirts and pompoms and to be fair there are pompoms and short skirts some of the time. But the reason DD likes doing cheer is that it's acrobatic, dangerous, exhausting, difficult and fun!

American style cheer has been growing in popularity over here and it is more about pyramids and throwing people into the air than pompoms most of the time. A proper sport has grown from what started as a few skimpily glad young women on a touchline supporting a team, cheering them on to win.

In the US Cheer leading is one of the most dangerous sports with huge numbers of injuries (I'm not sure that's anything to be proud of!) mostly as the girls are keen to be held or thrown higher and higher, and with the introduction of boys into the team the girls are often tossed higher than ever!

If you don't know what I mean, check out this amazing Cheer leading competition video.

One of the problems with being a cheerleader in the UK (apart from everyone assuming you just shake pompoms all day) is buying decent cheer kit. Dance and running gear is not what you need for cheer leading. Having decent cheer trainers (white, with support but flexibility, and light weight) is important, and it's nice for a team that plans to compete or do any displays to have a decent matching uniform. And while you can wear leggings or shorts and a T shirt for practice, it's nice to have dedicated 'cheer' items. Cool down kit is also popular with the girls in my daughter's team, comfy trousers and warm sweatshirts.

Cheer Cool down pants

So I was delighted to find that we can order Cheer kit online from a UK based supplier. Living Cheer are based in Telford (home of several cheer competitions) They have a great range from trainers to T-shirts, even bags and cute bows and badges. We were sent some trousers and shorts for DD to try out and she loves them, fashionable and comfy, she has taken to wearing them around the house as well as to practice each week, proud to show off her sport. Living Cheer even have uniforms, so if you are thinking of starting a team (and why not!) you can get everyone into a matching kit. At the moment they don't seem to have a range of boy's uniforms, which is a shame as there are more and more co-ed teams (many boys have realised the benefit to hanging out with fit young women in short skirts, or revel in the sparkle and glamour themselves) but hopefully Living Cheer will start to stock boys kit in the future.

If you want to know more about cheer in your area try contacting local leisure centres or the BCA (British Cheer leading Association)  or UKCA (UK Cheer leading Association) or Future Cheer.

A Lady Reviews Beard Oil

Mr TM has been sent a gift! A small bottle of beard oil for his hairy face from the nice chaps at Envy The Beard.

They have a cunning plan, so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a fox, to supply the beards of the UK with regular supplies of beard oil for the tiny sum of £5 a month. A monthly subscription for your beard.

Mr TM is notoriously shy so you will have to take my word for it that he has a beard, lately this beard has reached fairly epic proportions, mainly as he feels the need to compete with my online bearded friend, CJ (see below)

CJ displaying his ... beard

So Mr TM did need some taming and some softening...well his beard did anyway. In the past Mr TM has received gifts of beard oil and has been less than impressed as he always manages to pour too much out of the bottle, so he was pleasantly surprised to find this bottle came complete with a dropper for precision oiling!

We both liked the manly lumberjack smell of the oil and how soft it left his beard. If you are the sort of disorganised person that forgets the essentials, signing up to a monthly plan could be just what you need. The monthly subscription would also make a nice gift.

Find out more about the oil and the subscription plans at the Envy the Beard instagram. Stay hairy.

Disclosure : Mr TM was sent one bottle of beard oil for the purposes of this review. The words are all mine, the beard is all his.

Wordy Wednesday with Annette Goeres

This week for Wordy Wednesday I present a long time Twitter friend and author Annette Goeres. We have chatted online for a while so I wondered how much more I had to learn about her, it turns out that the answer was 'quite a lot'. The trouble with chatting to so many authors on social media is that you often don't get time to read the actual books they write!

So I asked Annette about her books and she said 

"Right now, the only books I have self-published are all about the same group of people (not a series, mind; they are the group I have written about the most). It is a spy sort of thing, with a group of agents who are sent out on top-secret missions that always seem to go wrong somehow. Gosh darn how that keeps happening. Anyway, they have to use their ingenuity and rely on each other to get out. I like all the characters, and it is fun to drop things on them and see how they will react. Mason Briggs is the lead, and his core group is usually comprised of  the same people. I had my son stand beside me and list names until I got some that I liked. I hate naming characters. The government often contacts Mason and he is given money and specific instructions, and he assembles and deploys the team as he thinks best.

Obviously, these are not high literature. They are supposed to be fun, but then, I think sitting around debating philosophy is fun, so go figure. There are lots of conversations in my books because I like to reveal character through how they act and interact, rather than just telling the reader things. My books also tend to be very sweary, or at least this group is. My characters are not saints and they are rather given to using blue language pretty much at the drop of a hat."

Intriguing..and now we know about Annette's book let us find out more about her. After settling us down with virtual tea and crumpets, I began the questioning...

Why did you start writing?

Mostly, I like writing. I don't write to have anything read, which is a little crazy. I fully admit to being a little strange. It is just something I do, and I suppose there is a massive amount of satisfaction in writing something. Because I self-publish, I know that my reach (i.e., the number of people who will actually read anything I write) is very low. Somehow, that does not deter me. (I can't help thinking this really is the best reason to write! none of the pressure and all of the fun!)

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?

A good day's writing... Well, let's see. I have five kids, so I really need some time that is both quiet and away from constant needs. I think that counts as two things. Other than that, I really like to have access to music. I love my music.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?

I would love to write everyday. In fact, the more often i can do that, the easier it is to write. However, reality strikes and I pretty much write whenever I can.

What are your favourite biscuits?

There are no favorites. There can be no debate about this. I will consume any/all. (spoken like a true author!)

Where do you do most of your writing?

The public library is a popular option, and my old desktop is my other place of happiness. I really should invest in a laptop, so I can take it with me. In fact, let me look into that right now....

What memorable books or blogs have you read in 2015?

2015 is over as I write this, but I have already read several memorable books in 2016. I think I have been accused often of reading too much.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson, Death Comes for the Deconstructionist by Daniel Taylor, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. There are probably tons more, but those are a good start.

Do you have any thoughts on whether the suggested extra characters on twitter (up to 10,000) would be a good or bad thing for writing and writers?

One of the fun things about Twitter, in my opinion, is the character limit currently forces people to reword and resuse ideas in new and exciting ways (such as an extended story that is covered in a long series of tweets), so I don't think a longer limit would necessarily be a good thing. I think that more people would resort to the Facebook thing of long, windy posts that could have been interesting...had they been much shorter.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of a robin pepper, suitably red, would fly away if it fell from the plant.
A Mango and a snake, a mangoa constrictor... (hmm as it squeezed you to death it's juice would run up your arm..)

Have you any new writing planned for 2016?

Funny you should ask! I am trying to wrap up my latest, which takes forever, and I have another, completely different style of book, waiting to be finished.

Do ideas pop into your head unexpectedly or do you sit and plan them?

I am betting that different writers plan and know what they are writing about. I have a general idea of where I want the story to go, but how it gets there is always an exciting adventure because I have no idea how the characters will get there. Sometimes, they never do and I have found myself somewhere else entirely. It's an adventure!

If you could meet any living author - who would you pick and why?

Ooooooh, this is a tough one! I would love to meet Stephen King. He is a phenomenal writer. But I doubt he's available, so I would go with Jenny Lawson, just because she is awesome. Her name rhymes with awesome, even. That is proof enough for me.

Thank you so much for taking part in Wordy Wednesday - I hope that a few of you reading this will be interested enough to pop over to Amazon and check out a book or two. Or why not follow Annette on Twitter?

Comments? I switched them off here - but I'd love to know what you think on my FaceBook page, or on Twitter.

Stay in touch. Until next week, thanks for reading.

The Fight Against Lurgies

Is Lurgy a real word? I don't know, but being British, having 'the lurgy' seems to be a common thing. The lurgy can vary from stomach bugs to colds but we all know it when we have it. Yuk. Feeling ill, infectious and generally 'grotty', when you live with other people you are shunned for fear that they will be next.

Gruesome tissues and your used cups will be avoided Like...well like the plague! Because no one wants to be next on the list to be struck down.

I suffered from the lurgy a week or so ago and serendipitously received a product to try at the same time. The product was NatraSan, a first aid and general cleaning spray made not of alcoholic gel, as many hand sanitisers are, but of water based hypochlorous acid. This acid is both strong against germs but mild on your skin, in fact your own skin makes it to protect you from the germy horrors that lurk...

So NatraSan can be used as a hand sanitiser, wound cleaner, surface cleaner, even a food cleaner! I used it during my snotty time in bed to wipe down things I touched, to clean my hands, and to clean surfaces etc, and it seemed to work as Mr TM remained bug and lurgy free! (Lucky him - I was in bed for 4 days!)

The spray is also perfect for camping - I'll be taking some to festivals - great for hand cleaning without the drying or stinging associated with alcohol gels, safe for small children to use (even if they suck their hands while they are still wet with NatraSan), excellent to rinse out scrapes and grazes ,and perfect for a quick wipe down of a dropped apple...no rinsing needed.

I was sceptical of the claims I admit - so I did a bit of research and sure enough it does work! The sanitising properties of hypocholrous acid have been known for some time, it was keeping it stable that was the problem and now that it is solved I can see it becoming more widely used. It's not cheap but I think the safety aspects, along with it's efficacy and the fact that small children can use it will make it a useful addition to your 'cleaning arsenal'.

Some facts:

Fact 1: This antiseptic, anti-viral and anti-fungal sanitising spray kills 99.9999% of germs, bacteria and viruses within seconds.
The active ingredient in NatraSan is hypochlorous acid, a very mild but powerful chemical produced by the human immune system to fight infection. Hypochlorous has evolved to kill microbes quickly - it oxidises germs, which means that it penetrates the outer layer of the germ cell and literally ‘blows it up’.

Fact 2: NatraSan is 300 times more effective than bleach but it is no more dangerous to human skin than water.
Because hypochlorous is a natural chemical that is produced by the human body it is safe to all human tissue, including young, old and sensitive skin, whilst causing almost instant death to germs. Rigorous laboratory tests have found it to be more effective than bleach for killing bacteria, with the added bonus of being natural and kind to skin.

NatraSan has been independently laboratory tested in UK laboratories and complies with British Standard/European Norm (BSEN) 1276 (bactericidal) BSEN 13697 (fungicidal) BSEN 14204 (virucidal) and BSEN 13704 (sporicidal).

NatraSan costs £10.00 for 250ml and £7.00 for 100ml - available at www.natrasanuk.com 

Disclosure: I was sent a complimentary bottle of Natrasan for the purposes of this review.

Wordy Wednesday with Judy Kelly

Wednesday again! The middle of the week and time for wordy fun with someone that writes words! Welcoming Judy Kelly to the blog today. I asked Judy to introduce herself:

I went to full time stage school from the age of 11 studying in the same class as Barbara Windsor and Shirley Eaton.  I appeared in many favourite old films e.g ‘The Belles of St. Trinians’  The Happiest Days of Your Life’ The Gilbert and Sullivan Story’ etc.  I recognised at an early age that I preferred telling other people what to do rather than be directed myself so became a free lance choreographer and director.  I also opened my own stage school which I have been running for over 30 years now.  I became a local councillor about 9 years ago and have been made ‘Champion of the Arts’ for my borough council.

Judy, why did you start writing?
My job as a drama teacher led to my having to write scripts for the students and that’s how I started writing.  I also joined our local hospital’s radio station as a volunteer and wrote and read short stories for them.  I had a few of these short stories printed in an assortment of magazines.  Once I had grandchildren I started making up stories to tell to them and that is how my first children’s book ‘ Willamina Mermaid and the Quest for the Crystal of Light’ came about.  My grandchildren enjoyed it so much I decided to write it down and get it published.  I hope other children will also enjoy it.


What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
I always write with music in the background especially Mozart.  I also like a good view.  I wrote most of Willamina whilst on holiday in Tunisia sitting on a balcony overlooking the sea   My third requirement would be a good glass of wine within easy reach. (wine, the writer's friend)

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?  
Because I run a stage school and am also a local councillor I find it hard to find the time to write so I only really have time during holiday periods or very late at night.

What are your favourite biscuits?
This is a difficult one as I have a very sweet tooth and love all biscuits, but the ones I pick out first are the custard creams.

Where do you do most of your writing? 
On holiday mostly and finish if off at home in my office which overlooks my garden (I must have a nice view).  I have just come back from a three-week cruise and started my next book whilst away.

What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
‘How to be Both’ by Ali Smith

What was your favourite school subject? and was it the one you were best at?
English Literature and yes, that was my best subject.

If you could impart one piece of advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be?
Be true to yourself – don’t be tempted to write for the market, write down what you have inside you – be passionate about your subject, believe in it.

Do you have writing plans for later in 2016? Are they secret or could you share a teaser?
I’ve started work on my first adult book, based on my mother and her family’s experiences.

If you could have any job in the world except being an author, what would you choose and why?
I already do a job I love, but having come into politics late in life I wouldn’t mind taking over as prime Minister!  I just love being in charge and telling other people what to do.  I could also have a go at putting the world to rights!!!

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently thinking of bean sprout worms, add a touch of animation to a boring salad.
I think a cat and a nice juicy melon would blend well together then I would have something to cuddle and eat at the same time. (a cat-eloupe melon?!)

If you could take any fictional character out for lunch, who would you choose and why? And where do you think you'd go to eat? 
I think I’d take Mrs Malaprop out to an Indian restaurant and see how she’d get her tongue round some of those names.  I could update ‘The Rivals’ after that! (haha great answer!)

Willamina Mermaid & the Quest for the Crystal of Light:

This magical new book takes children into the sea, as a Mermaid Princess races to save the Underwater Kingdom

Willamina didn't know she was a mermaid. Her aunts told her she was 'deformed' and kept her hidden in a tiny bathroom for twelve long years. Her only companion was Finley, her goldfish. She didn't know she was a princess either until Merlin, the merman, helped her escape back to the seas where she belonged and the help of her five royal cousins went on a quest to retrieve the crystal of light, stolen by the witch of darkness, and set her people free.

J.A. Kelly’s ‘Willamina Mermaid & the Quest for the Crystal of Light’ has been described by critics as a cross between Harry Potter and the works of Roald Dahl – as one unsuspecting mermaid princess escapes her life as a prisoner to return to the ocean in order to save her underwater kingdom. Fusing adventure with uplifting empowerment, Kelly’s creation helps young readers realise that no task is too big for them to achieve.

 ‘Willamina Mermaid & the Quest for the Crystal of Light’ is available now: http://amzn.to/1RsrJ5S. 

As always - big thanks to my featured author - fancy a chat? Pop over to my Facebook page.

A Quick Follow up to the Deadpool Morphsuit Malarkey

Remember how I fell in love with Deadpool and then with Morphsuits? So much so that I decided that if Morphsuits supplied the suit I'd wear it to the movie?

Well, it all came to pass, almost. The only difference was that Dd declared the suit 'empowering' and loved wearing it, so much so that I barely got a look in after my initial try on.

So we set off, DD looking sleek and dare I say sexy , in the Morphsuit. This being Britain we got only the odd sideways glance and barely a comment; though in popping into Frankie and Benny's for a snack we did frighten the proprieter as Dd loomed out of the dark night.

The movie theatre itself was oddly quiet, partly due to the late nature of the showing and partly as the movie had been out for 4 days, and we received less attention than I suspect she hoped for. Some giggiling and sneaky phone photos seemed about the limit.

Of course we adored the film. Both of us want to see it again and I've already ordered the DVD

We both have bits of the soundtrack on our phones so that we can walk the streets, headphones in, silently singing "sexy mother f***er"...

I feel I am an excellent role model as a parent.

Have you been to the movies in a Morphsuit? I recommend it - we will be taking it to festivals over the summer too, and maybe adding a Stormtrooper to our Morphsuit 'stable'...

Irresistable urge to comment? come chat on Twitter or Facebook

Wordy Wednesday with Anna McKerrow

Good Morning Wordy Wednesday Fans - Today I introduce you to Anna McKerrow, she is a new author to me so I popped over to her website to find out a bit more about her.

Anna McKerrow works on arts projects for the reading charity Book Trust, which is where she became interested in Young Adult fiction. (It wasn’t around when she was 15; she went straight from Judy Blume to Jackie Collins). She has also published four volumes of poetry and taught creative writing in adult education for 7 years. She also provides school workshop and book event consultancy to writers and publishers.

Anna is a Pagan, reads the tarot, is a Reiki practitioner, and is a little bit obsessed with stone circles. She believes passionately, like Alan Moore, that creative activities such as writing are a kind of magic in themselves.

Anna sounds pretty fascinating and very experienced in writing, let's see what she answered to my odd questions.

When did you start writing?
As a young child. My first story at about 5 or 6 was a plagiarised story about a giant that “turned purple with rage”, I remember my teacher asking me, Anna, did you really think of that on your own? And like a true writer, I lied and said yes. As an adult I realise that borrowing ideas from other people is essential as a writer, and in fact showed that I was taking in and thinking about what I read. I stand by my theft.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Coffee, pastries, peace and quiet / being left alone.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
At the moment I write on Thursdays and Fridays while my son is at school; in practice, often life stuff gets in the way and I don’t do two full days. If you’re at home apparently sitting about, it’s easy to get asked to run errands. Plus I don’t write nonstop for all that time. There’s a fair amount of staring at the wall, trying to work out a knot in the plot or a motivation, like why the hell would a person do what I’ve said they do, or how do I get this person from this point to the next point and how does all that fit together. With a trilogy (which Crow Moon is the first and Red Witch is the second of) there’s lots of this kind of organisational thinking. Plotting-wise I’m pretty basic and draw it out in a felt tip diagram then make incomprehensible notes on top of it as I go along. Hence a lot of staring at the wall.

Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Could you survive on book writing alone?
It’s my secondary source of income. I am, unlike many writers, extremely lucky to get paid at all, but it’s definitely not enough to live on. I work part time at a reading charity 3 days a week which is nice because it means I’m around children’s books all the time and keeping up to date with all the new writers and books.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Clearly, this is an important question. Chocolate biscuits, obviously. I don’t buy them because then I’d eat them. But you can’t go wrong with a Viscount or an Orange Club. ooh posh individually wrapped biscuits, I'll pop round later!

Where do you do most of your writing?
Sitting at the dining table or on my bed with my laptop, but that’s a bad posture position so at the table is better and feels more workmanlike. Then I write in my journal at night in longhand. I like to write at the kitchen table as it's closer to the biscuits

What book are you reading at the moment?
Get Into Trouble by Kelly Link, a new collection of her short stories. She’s an awesome American writer whose stories fall between horror, gothic, humour and literary fiction. My TBR pile like anyone bookish is massive. Next I have Neil Gaiman’s Sandman Overture to read, which is the prequel to his Sandman graphic novel.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently keen on a turnip elephant, though I suspect it would be hard to get into a saucepan with that trunk waving about.
I want to say a cucumber snake, which is in my mind because my friend told me that cats have a primal aversion instinct for snakes, and if you leave a cucumber near to them they go crazy. I keep meaning to do it with my cat. And film it for Facebook, obvs. obviously

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead?
Protest the totalitarian regime that had banned it? Draw an acerbic political cartoon with no words and poster it all over the neighbourhood, bemoaning the lack of linguistic expression. That’s what I like to think I would do. Also perhaps I’d spend more time playing music. Perhaps I’d take up revolutionary pottery and make subversive nudes. I adore all of these ideas!

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why?
Lets say Janis Joplin. She had a fascinating life at the heart of the San Francisco flower power scene, was a crazily talented woman, and a bit of a sad soul I think. Janis would be cool.

Thank you to Anna for taking part. She has a book currently available and a new one published 10th March. So if you are quick you'll have chance to read one before the other comes out.

CROW MOON: out now:

Danny is a fun-loving 16-year-old looking for a father figure and falling in love with a different girl every day. He certainly doesn't want to follow in his mum's witchy footsteps.
Just as his community is being threatened by gangs intent on finding a lucrative power source to sell to the world, Danny discovers he is stunningly powerful. And when he falls for Saba, a gorgeous but capricious girl sorceress, he thinks maybe the witch thing might not be such a bad idea...
But what cost will Danny pay as, with his community on the brink of war, he finds that love and sorcery are more dangerous than he ever imagined?
Wickedness and passion combine in this coming-of-age adventure.

RED WITCH: Out March 10th 2016
Seventeen, heartbroken, powerful; Melz has run away from home, run away from the safety of the Greenworld. In the cities of the Redworld, Melz discovers she's special, desired. And not just for her magical talents. When Melz meets the young but influential Bran, their attraction is instant and electric. In the Redworld, with Bran by her side, unrestrained by the customs of her former life, Melz knows she can reach her true potential. But the world Bran wants to give Melz is ravaged by war and violence. Oil is running out, and people will do anything to gain control of the remaining resources. Melz may be more powerful than ever, but even great power can be a curse when used against you.