Round Robin – Project the Projects

Thought I’d welcome everyone in this month with a plate of my favourite goodies. With or without the iconic Scottish lion standard a box of said goodies was a highlight among my Christmas presents in 2015. The culprit knows who he is!

So that’s in the way of another 2016 goal entirely – get the weight back into the “I am a size ? comfortably, and not just when I breathe in.”

But we are meant to be discussing the one or two writing projects I’d like to accomplish this year and what obstacles to them I might encounter.

I’ve written, short fiction and non-fiction. I’ve written plays. I’ve written professional letters and reports. I’ve written minutes…I think you’re getting the picture.

I enjoy writing and re-reading my novels, but there are one or two ambitions I didn’t realise in the shorts’ world – and that’s my project for 2016. I want to be published by Woman’s Weekly. For those of you in Canada and the US, this is a weekly woman’s magazine which still features two short stories and a serial each week. There is an Australian version, too. I’ve tried before, but not managed. That being said, when they had a letters’ page, I was a regular, so strictly speaking I have been in W’s W, but not in the format I covet.

So, what am I doing to anticipate any obstacles I might encounter? In the first place, I’ve signed up for one of their workshops in Glasgow in early March. Got the ticket. Sussed the travelling. Sharpened the pencils.

One thing coming up next month is the publication of my first novel, Mariah’s Marriage, in large print by Ulverscroft for their Linford Romance line. That is certainly the realisation of a long term goal. Do ask at your library, please. It’s going to be such a pleasure to hold my book in my hand. I can feel the excitement as I think about it.

 

Amazon Author’s Page MARIAH’S MARRIAGE BELLA’S BETROTHAL DAISY’S DILEMMA

Interested in how we writers go about organising our year, then pop across to the lovely Hollie Glover Hollie Glover http://www.hollieglover.co.uk and any of the others listed below.

 

Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca
Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.com/2016/01/23/writers-to-do-list-for-the-new-year/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Connie Vines http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Bob Rich  http://wp.me/p3Xihq-Bm
Rachael Kosinski http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Kay Sisk http://kaysisk.blogspot.com
Anne Stenhouse  https://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Hollie Glover http://www.hollieglover.co.uk
Helena Fairfax  http://helenafairfax.com/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/

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Dreaming – Midsummer Dreams – Alison May

In celebration of the e-launch day for Alison May’s brand new romantic comedy, Midsummer Dreams, I’m posting today on the theme of all things dream-related.

I had a dream…

This is such a difficult selection to make and I’m really struggling with it. What area of one’s life? This is a writing blog, so I’ll say my dream was to hold a book with my name on it in my hand.

I had a nightmare…

That the e-revolution which brings us such variety and quality through e-readers would deprive me of the chance to hold my own book in my hand.

My dream for the future…

That the lovely people at Ulverscroft may thrive and I will see Mariah’s Marriage in the Linford romance series, early next year and hold one in my hand.

 

Here’s Alison’s Book

 

You can download the kindle edition of Midsummer Dreams here: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00XJOEJTM

About Midsummer Dreams

Four people. Four messy lives. One party that changes everything … Emily is obsessed with ending her father’s new relationship – but is blind to the fact that her own is far from perfect. Dominic has spent so long making other people happy that he’s hardly noticed he’s not happy himself. Helen has loved the same man, unrequitedly, for ten years. Now she may have to face up to the fact that he will never be hers. Alex has always played the field. But when he finally meets a girl he wants to commit to, she is just out of his reach. At a midsummer wedding party, the bonds that tie the four friends together begin to unravel and show them that, sometimes, the sensible choice is not always the right one.

Sally Malcolm http://sallymalcolm.blogspot.co.uk/

Chris Stovell http://homethoughtsweekly.blogspot.co.uk/

Clare Chase http://clarechase.com/

Janet Gover http://janetgover.com/

Morton Gray http://mortongray.blogspot.co.uk/

Evonne Wareham http://evonneonwednesday.blogspot.co.uk/

Henriette Gyland https://henriettegyland.wordpress.com/

Ann Evans http://annsawriter.blogspot.co.uk/

Georgia Hill http://www.georgiahill.co.uk/

Christina Hollis http://www.christinahollis.com/

Kathryn Freeman http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk/

Bernadette O’Dwyer http://secretwriter1.blogspot.co.uk/

Debbie Flint http://www.debbieflint.co.uk/read-it-write-it-sell-it

Julia Ibbotson http://juliaibbotsonauthor.com/

Anne Stenhouse https://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/

Janice Preston http://janicepreston.co.uk/

Linn B Halton http://linnbhalton.co.uk/

Helena Fairfax http://helenafairfax.com/

Alison May www.alison-may.co.uk

Excitement – Nothing to do with Christmas

I can’t tell you how excited I was to open a mail from the lovely Sarah Quirke and discover she wanted Mariah’s Marriage for Ulverscoft’s Linford Romance line. 

I read Sarah’s interview on the Romantic Novelists’ Association blog  October 17th and was struck by her answer to who was her typical reader. She thought there wasn’t one as so many people have eye problems. Everything is considered and this chimed exactly with a family memory.

Diabetes left my mum’s sight seriously compromised but, after cataract ops, she was able to return to reading Large Print books. We found a box of discontinued ones at a church sale and I was truly surprised by her choices from it. If I’d simple bought some and taken them to her, she wouldn’t have had some that she turned out to be keen on.

So, a double celebration, because romance was my mum’s favourite genre. Large print and Talking Books were a Godsend for her in her later years. I’m really thrilled that one of my titles will be appearing in large print in due course.

London Girl