My goodness, I intended to blog whilst I was away in France but do you know what? With the internet driving me crazy, I could only spend an hour a day sorting the social media for the websites and that was it! I also (because it was a special birthday…) had a wonderful present! I now have an iPAD – fabulous, but of course there is a manual to read and apps to download… so here is a little flavour of France, courtesy of one of the Pic Collage app!
If you are heading to Northern France I always think a recommendation is a golden thing. I would like to mention two wonderful places to stay – Domaine Le Parc, Danizy, Picardy – this wonderful 18th century Manor house was built on the remnants of a 12th century castle. Jos and Anne Bergman have lovingly restored it and the rooms are beautifully decorated. The gardens are incredibly vibrant and the terrace overlooks the valley. It really is heaven on earth and if you want a quiet, relaxing stay it’s perfect – you can wander around the fabulous gardens and grounds, or sit and enjoy the ambience. Jos is an amazing chef and the food is absolutely divine! Out of ten this one is off the scale!
We also spent a few days at O Mylle Douceurs in Le Crotoy. Situated on the North coast of France. O Mylle Douceurs is a relaxing place to stay and is a two minute walk from the beach. Furnished in a delightful ‘shabby chic’ style, it’s very boutique. The local market each week is buzzing with a large range of stalls, but aside from that it’s a fairly sedate place. I came home with six pairs of shoes…and I have an aversion to clothes/shoes shopping!
So what have I been doing since I returned? Well, I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours chatting, once more, to the effervescent Janice Ross for Saturday Cocktails. I was sitting in with my old friend, Richard Holmes, and we had a blast! If you missed it, there was a LOT of laughter and HUGE thanks to Janice, who is a very special lady and herself one very talented author:
Part two of Ceri’s journey: Truth is finished and ready for editing. I have also made a good start on part three – Decisions. I’ve been overwhelmed by the feedback from the advance review copies of part one, that went out to some wonderful books reviewers and beta readers. I’ll be sharing more about that in two weeks’ time, as there are many people to thank!
Ceri’s journey: Angels formally launches on the LLm website on Saturday, July 6th. There are some lovely prizes up for grabs and it’s going to be a little bit of fun that will rumble on for a few days…if you have a personal psychic story to tell, there will be a chance to share it with like-minded people!
There was also a surprise in my inbox – I’d been asked to write a few articles for a new website, The Good Villain, a while back. The website is now live and it’s where authors share what they have learnt and also disseminate good practice, hints and tips for newbies. I still very much regard myself as being a newbie, so I was very flattered. But since day one, when I discovered that social media was as important to a writer as the words in their books, I’ve hated the idea of everyone reinventing the same old wheel…so I’m more than happy to share the mistakes I’ve made and the knowledge I’ve gained along the way…
Loving Social Media Is Not An Art – It’s A Labour Of Love
5 Tips To Be Productive During Holidays
5 Things a Newbie Author Should Avoid
Of course, this only scratches the surface of what’s happened, as I had to hit the ground running on my return! However, abiding by my own 5 Tips To Be Productive During Holidays article, my preparation (including 42 Twitter and LinkedIn spreadsheets set up ready to load daily) saved the day! I had a relaxing holiday, managed to keep all the balls in the air (I did cheat and had scheduled a light programme on LLm so I wouldn’t let anyone down) and spent quality time with my other half! The wonderful thing is, that the LLm were there, carrying on as usual and sharing the love of what we do!
Now, of course, I need a holiday to get over the post-holiday catch-up…life eh?
Thanks for dropping by – if you decide to try out either of these two wonderful Manor houses, get in touch and I can send more photos…
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