Author: Linn

How was your week? Mine was another week of mad variety…
When the latest edition of the RNA Romancematters magazine came through the letterbox I settled down with my coffee… and spluttered!

Standing in between the lovely Liz Fenwick and great friend Mandy Baggot, I recognised that face! It was the annual RoNA awards that we attended in February and my first time at an RNA event, so I was very glad to accompany the talented Lady B. There were faces I recognised and the atmosphere was amazing. Of course, Richard and Judy were there presenting the awards and Jane Wenham-Jones was the enthusiastic compare for the evening. The wine did flow and the nibbles were mouthwatering – but it was all about the award winners and Sophie Kinsella received the RNA’s Outstanding Achievement Award. A night to truly remember!

It was a week in which I joined my great friend and fellow author, Richard F Holmes, for Cultural Cocktails on Blog Talk Radio with the bubbly and wonderful host, Janice G Ross. It was two hours of fun and I love listening to Richard’s life story, which is uplifting – aside from the fact that he’s an amazing medium and healer.

Janice is, herself, an author and she writes about social issues and personal experiences. Her debut novel series is entitled Damaged Girls.

It’s about the type of life many of us might not know exists, and which many of us might not WANT to admit exists. Find out more about Janice on her website: Cultural Cocktails and follow her on Twitter: @JGRWriter. We covered astral travelling, spiritual growth, psychic experience and much, much more! There was a LOT of laughter and two hours flew by… Janice is threatening to invite us back!

If you have two hours spare, here’s the link to the show : http://www.blogtalkradio.com/culturalcocktails/2013/04/06/saturday-cocktails

Not quite on a par with the RNA event, but still huge fun is the Arlingham ‘Love My Books’ club, which meets once a month in the local village hall. Julie sent through her wonderfully penned piece about it for me to forward to the local parish magazines. We don’t read set books but instead talk about a ‘topic’, which was ‘a fictional character you either love or hate.’ It ranged from Hercule Poirot to James Bond … One thing I will say is that if you don’t have a local book club, do start one up as it’s a great way to meet people and you won’t believe where the conversation will take you … I’m still recovering from the meeting in which we discussed the Vagina Monologues – the laughter almost raised the roof!

A week of very diverse emails – from an unexpected offer of a ticket to The London Bookfair, to should I ‘paint or varnish’? The answer was paint of course. It’s a small space within an old cottage and keeping everything white will ensure the space doesn’t feel closed-in. I discovered a previously over-looked email from Linked In congratulating me on being in the top 1% most endorsed in United Kingdom for Creative Writing. I immediately felt an ‘oh dear’ moment as my conscience tells me I don’t spend enough time getting to know my way around many of the social media website I’m on. I might have a presence, but that doesn’t mean I really understand how it all works or use it to its full effect. So thank you to anyone who endorsed me and sorry if I’ve left someone out… I try to reciprocate and hope I’m doing it right, but one day I will sit down and suss it out properly!

Time with the little ones? Well this time it was three of them – aged 4, 2 and nearly six months. It’s a mega 7 hours travelling time so we have to set off early – 6am, as we make the journey to North Wales and back in a day. Whilst we had seen a few snowflakes in Gloucestershire, we were very surprised to see large areas of the countryside covered in what must have been quite a snowfall. It made for some wonderful sights, but as we drew closer to Rhyl it petered out and the sun appeared! We had a fabulous day –  chaos ensued of course, but everyone managed to get fed, played with, and passed around for cuddles. With two boys and a girl, I think Lily (being in the middle), is going to be a tomboy. As you can imagine, with that age-span it’s toy heaven with everything from rattles to a fort. So plenty of crawling around on the floor. And a heavenly lunch of homemade beefburgers made by four year-old Charlie! Seasoned to perfection.

Guilty pleasures? I cut back on the chocolate again, well summer is coming, and concentrated on some late night pinning on Pinterest. Two new boards – Great things to buy:

Following an exchange on Twitter I found a great website offering some colourful and fun storage solutions. You choose your design and your style – try it, it’s fun and a great solution whether it’s for the kiddies rooms or to pretty up your office space! Check them out on Twitter: Stakk Home Storage @Stakk2012 and their website: http://www.stakk.co.uk/shop/ . Get the kids to choose their own!

Then there was Naturally… I’m a great believer in having crystals in the house for their healing and calming properties. I recently purchased two new ones to put at the head of our bed. The master bedroom is a converted hayloft and a beam literally runs the length of the room directly above the bed. Now Feng Shui followers will know that’s not good karma. So the crystals help divert any negative energy created by the fact that the beam more or less ‘divides’ the bed lengthways. I’m happy to say it’s working and there’s no negative energy at play! That was my inspiration for my ‘all things natural, beautiful and uplifting’ board – so check it out if you like crystals, herbs, healthy and natural things…

I thought I’d also reflect on ‘life lessons’ I’ve learnt this week:

Lesson 1: Saying ‘no’ isn’t a bad thing if saying ‘yes’ means you can’t do something properly because you are over-loaded. People who care about you will understand.

Lesson 2: Children look at life quite simply; maybe there are times when we need to do the same.

If you want to tell me what you’ve learnt this week, maybe we can share the advice – this is my year of working smarter and not harder and I have a LOT to learn…

Well, the ‘hard’ full moon of 27 March came and went. Angry planets in opposition are never a good sign so, yes, there were a few complications but life is never straightforward, is it? Often it’s a case of lending a listening ear, adjusting the plan, or picking yourself up and dusting yourself off. A hint of sadness remains for a couple of problems I heard about, but with which I couldn’t help, only sympathise. Being a Gemini isn’t always easy when you want to fix every problem you come across!

This week involved a lot of finger puppet theatre – how many unique voices can YOU create? It was Miss Red Riding Hood in a squeaky, girly voice and the three pigs ranged from gruff, to extremely gruff. With an audience of one, a two and a half year-old, you would think it would be easy, wouldn’t you? But no, this little one takes things very seriously (aside from our session on the bouncy Castle at Cheeky Monkeys, when I had to bounce equally as high) and is quite discerning when it comes to the ‘right’ sound. I did much better when it came to reading Thomas the Tank. Train voices seem to come naturally to me…

Easter was a mix of family things and work. With a ‘to do’ list the size of a neatly wound toilet roll, there was no slacking and the bonus was that I had someone there to make me coffee whenever I began to flag! Easter eggs and fun were abundant, but I also managed to fit in two very long work days. Loveahappyending morphing into Loveahappyending Lifestyle Magazine was a major change for the whole group. I felt a bit like Bob The Builder ‘Can we do it?’ and everyone replied ‘Yes, we can!’ Well, six weeks after the changeover and the articles keep coming. The variety of content is amazing, but developing the website and bringing the sister website, the LLm Bookshelf, more in line with the new logo and ethos all takes time. To celebrate the changes, our March Newsletter featured an interview with best-selling author Daniela Sacerdoti and wonderful book reviewer DizzyC. I’m now lining up the next interview due out on 27 April 2013 – exciting!

I began work on the Lifestyle downloadable emag, which will be available three times a year. At the moment it’s still the biggest task on my ‘to do’ list, but I made a start and am working on the first cover. It’s a brave new step, so I’m going to do three covers and will be canvassing opinion.

Part of the holiday weekend involved some quality time with my lovely husband and a few walks alongside the river Severn, checking out the sheep and the first signs of spring.

Our ‘treat’ was to begin watching the boxed sets of Downton Abbey my other half bought me for Christmas. Our first session began at 9pm on Good Friday and it was hard to turn the TV off and not say ‘just one more’…

For me it was quite thrilling as I seldom have time to sit in front of the TV these days; there are just too many other things I want to be doing. So when it was live on TV I probably only caught two or three of the episodes. However, we did the same with ‘24’, ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘Lost’ – watching episodes back-to-back long after they had been aired. Not having to wait a week in between episodes is the ideal way to really appreciate a series. Sometimes ‘quality’ time is simply about sharing the simple pleasure of doing nothing and being entertained. We were both totally caught up…and now I have a Pinterest page for it, of course!

I spent a full day loading some new plugins to all three WordPress websites and finalising the static pages for both LLm and The Bookshelf. A call to have all our authors pages ready to go ‘live’ before the monthly newsletter on 27 April 2013, meant a round of sharing information/tips on how to use WordPress. I admit I’m no expert as I’m self-taught, but setting up three very different styles of website has helped me learn a trick or two. I’m always happy to share knowledge. I don’t see the point in everyone inventing the same wheel if there are shortcuts. For some of the authors and contributors it’s the first time they have used WordPress and it can be daunting. However, another round of fascinating articles went out this week and the hits have double since February, so we are all thrilled.

Manning three inboxes isn’t easy and it can be very time consuming. There are a lot of spam emails and requests to be featured on the websites. Wearing my author’s hat, I had a number of emails from very different people wanting to talk about personal psychic experiences. In particular, two people contacted me after finishing one of my novels (Touched By The light and Never Alone) to tell me how the stories had affected them. I never share detail that is given to me by other people about their personal experiences, but suffice to say for both of them there was an instant connection with some of the psychic elements in the stories. All of the experiences I include in my stories are based on things that have happened to me in the past because I think it then has greater meaning. Of course, I continue to get experiences myself and there are a few people I regularly talk to and share those moments with. It serves to remind me it’s not unusual and that helps. I might have crossed the line whereby I can say ‘I am no longer a sceptic’ but I always look at things sceptically. It’s habit. But there is a tendency to keep thinking it’s a vivid imagination, as some of the things that happen are very strange and often not witnessed by anyone else. Then, of course, there are the shared experiences and for those I’m grateful! It’s nice to know I’m not crazy…

A lovely reader who won first prize in the recent competition for the launch of Never Alone sent me a Tweet to say she had finished reading the signed paperback I had sent her.

It was a part of the ‘romance pack’ – pillow, candles and cut glass crystal tea-light holder, plus a pink heart placemat. So thank you to Johanna Whiting for a great review on Amazon:

S. Bellamywhiting reviewed Never Alone

31 March 2013

I received this book after winning a competition and I’m so glad I did as I couldn’t put it down!!!!!

It was gripping from the start, although I felt sorry for Holly, the main character, as her boyfriend Will wouldn’t win boyfriend of the year!!!!

Great UNexpected ending, definitely a re-read!!!! Congratulations Linn x

Of all the stories I have written, Never Alone is the one that stretches the reader’s imagination the most. There are lots of clues along the way, but essentially when you reach the end it becomes clear that the story isn’t quite what it seems. The way each reader will interpret how it plays out will, in part, be coloured by their own life experiences. I have really enjoyed the emails I’ve received from readers eager to tell me their interpretation, or admitting that they immediately re-read it to discover what they had missed. One lady asked me if she was ‘right’, and the answer is that there is ‘no right answer’. My own interpretation is probably a little too ‘off the wall’ to be a general opinion, but that was the fun in writing it!

I also penned two guest post articles that will be appearing in April when I visit some author friends and I’m planning a promotion for The Restaurant and The Quintessential Gemini – never a dull moment. I just wish there were more than 24 hours in a day…..

Have you started your weekly diary yet? Or maybe glanced at your stars…

I hit the ground running – is there any other way? Especially as this month’s full moon on 27 March was heralded as an ‘angry’ one. Similar to the ‘monster moon’ on 29 September last year, like it or not life doesn’t run as smoothly when the cosmos isn’t happy. If you don’t follow astrology or horoscopes, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t affected you or the world around you. Family problems came to the fore with this angry moon and every family goes through periods where life isn’t quite so easy. What can you do? Listen mainly, be there when you can.

This week my little charge was poorly, so it was dinosaur play, lots of cuddles and books. We did manage to get out and about on one of the days and I marvel at the way he makes me see life in quite a different way. When the rest of my week is spent online or writing, it’s a refreshing break and re-charges my batteries. I MUST stop working 7 days a week though…

For Loveahappyending Lifestyle magazine I found out all about a new action romance imprint:

Newcastle based independent publisher Myrmidon launches PULSE

I love doing the People with a passion feature as I get to meet some really motivated, passionate and inspiring people. The launch of this imprint kicks off with a big competition and a contract is on offer for one lucky author!

As editor of The Bookshelf newsletter I had the pleasure of talking with Black and White Publishing to bring together an interview with the amazing Daniela Sacerdoti – that goes out this weekend. Daniela’s latest novel, Watch Over Me, has sold more than 150,000 ecopies!

Also in the next newsletter is an interview with DizzyC – aka Carol Wright – an amazing and passionate book reviewer who runs DizzyCsLittleBookBlog. I had the pleasure of meeting DizzyC at last year’s Festival of Romance…

Which brings me on nicely to my next task for the week, which was to begin talks with Festival of Romance organiser Kate Allan for a little event Loveahappyending Lifestyle will be doing … more news about that, and the authors involved, coming soon! Mark the date on your calenders – it’s the weekend of 9-11 November 2013!

I treated myself to an indulgent couple of hours creating my own new look ‘bookshelf’:

This was yet another huge learning curve for me, but I do enjoy the process of learning something new. Albeit at times it can be rather frustrating if time is short and I have emails flooding into the three inboxes I look after, or deadlines for articles. However, this was something I’d been meaning to get my head around for a long time and I was thrilled with the result.

And I have a confession… when it comes to guilty secrets I also indulged myself on Pinterest with a brand new board – ROMANTICA! Well, it was the week of my wedding anniversary and a time when I’ve been reflecting over the wonderful and romantic times since that ‘I do’ moment…

Well, week 2 of my diary and I feel liked I’ve crossed a bridge to a higher vantage point and can now see for miles! To the extent that I actually gave myself a WHOLE evening off to celebrate my wedding anniversary; usually I would come back from an evening out and sit in front of the computer screen for a moment… err…. couple of hours! You know how it is, time just flies.

Now that I’m keeping a list ready for my weekly diary post, I found that looking at the amount of work I’ve gotten though is beginning to put things into perspective for me. Admittedly my ‘to do’ list is growing by the day and sometimes I add more than I cross off, but it reminded me to be ‘satisfied’. It allowed me to feel a sense of contentment, something as one’s own boss I find rarely happens. You focus on what you haven’t yet done, rather than what you HAVE done. So it was a week for taking that little walk and appreciating the daffodils, then back to WORK… of course!

This is the start of an online diary of a mad wife/mum/grandma/author/website administrator/Gemini….

When I was a teen I kept a daily diary. Marriage, kids and a career sucked up time and it became an indulgence I could no longer afford. I’m in the mood for nostalgia at the moment, I think it’s because I’m conscious that I don’t always take the time to stop and ‘smell the roses’ as I focus on my ever-growing ‘to do’ list. So now I have decided I’m going to celebrate each week as it passes by recording my highs and lows in ‘Lovin’ Life’.

Part of the reason too, is that life whizzes past at a rate of knots in this day and age where time, and time zones, mean a 24/7-level of communication. With online friends from all around the world there is always someone messaging, no matter what time of the day or night it is. So I wake up to a burgeoning inbox (well, actually I have three) before the day even begins! I think it’s about time I put things into perspective and realise just how much IS achieved each week!

… and what a week!

It has been one of extremes. Bad news included a nephew having a heart attack, although (thank God) he now seems to be doing well and has been brought out of an induced coma. A sharp reminder that we should all try our best to live each day to the full. Another friend has a tough problem, although all I can do to help is to be a listening ear.

I began writing guests posts for a forthcoming Blog Tour for The Restaurant @ The Mill, one of the two novels I have published by the amazing Sapphire Star Publishing.

One interview threw out some really interesting questions and I really enjoyed answering them – can’t wait to see it go live on the Dan O’Brien project on 27 April, 2013.

You  meet such great people when guesting and Dan is an amazing guy with lots of energy.

My debut novel, Touched By The Light was in the top 100 again on Amazon.co.uk in Humorous Fiction! Thank you to the lovely person who DM’d me on Twitter to let me know! I’m still a newbie author and something like this is a big thrill and a huge boost. So mega thanks to everyone who purchased a copy this week.

It was a week that saw me making palm trees with some strange- coloured coconuts out of toilet rolls and card, cutting out ladybirds from a birthday card and making a pretend bush. Spending time with a  two-and-a-half year-old certainly puts things into perspective. Not least that he has a ‘car wash’ set up to wash his elephant. That found us on YouTube looking at clips of elephants being washed and was why we were creating our ‘jungle’ foliage. Fun, fun, fun!

I drafted my next interior design article for online magazine Loveahappyending Lifestyle. It saw me on the floor demonstrating whilst husband Lawrence took pics! Having had a good reaction to my article on storage solutions, my next article, on 2 June 2013, is a project that can be completed in a day. It’s all about using mirrors to create a feature that will add light and works especially well in a small room, or one that doesn’t have a lot of natural light.

A large part of my week is dedicated to the running of Loveahappyending, which includes liaising with our members and developing the website, plus two sister websites. I’m constantly learning new skills and my next big learning curve is about to begin. I began working on the cover for Lifestyle’s first downloadable emag (May/June) and began by bouncing ideas off  my lovely friend, and fellow author, Janice Horton. It was also a week spent designing logos. As our daily readership has double since the original Loveahappyending format changed on 17 February 2013, it’s a testament to how hard everyone involved is working. The posts are fun, informative and great to catch up with at coffee time!

Wearing my feature editor’s hat for the magazine I interviewed Donna Trinder for ‘People with a Passion’ – that article will be out on 26 April 2013. She is one amazing lady, having been diagnosed with MS some six years ago and as a busy mum of two, she still finds time to blog, read books and write. It’s a truly inspiring interview. Donna also blogs for the MS Society. I love this post by Donna on her own blog Letter to my 16 year-old self!

I spent a couple of hours looking in antique shops for some shabby chic stools for my brother’s new house. He loves the ones I have in my own kitchen. He’s renovating an old cottage and it’s almost time to start designing that interior! We will be looking at material swatches for the sofas tomorrow and my quest for those elusive stools will continue next week. I did discover some wonderful oak framed mirrors and a few other small items of furniture that made me go ‘oooh…’. I might have to revisit one of the shops again next week – I try not to buy on impulse if I see something that isn’t on my shopping list. But I also can’t pass up a bargain that I know will look fabulous in the right setting.

Well, week 1 has certainly taught me something. In my head I thought I’d had a disappointing week, as I didn’t achieve everything that I set out to do. Putting this together has made me realise it wasn’t a bad week’s work after all!

Do you keep a diary? What do you do to take time out and sit back to consider what you’ve achieved? One thing I can say is that I’m looking forward to seeing what pops up in next week’s post! Have a great weekend everyone.