Suzanne Rogerson's Blog, page 67

#TuesdayBookBlog #Bookreview Gertrude Jekyll Dreams – Helen Thomas #Poetry

Title: Gertrude Jekyll Dreams

Author: Helen Thomas

Self published 2014.

Length: This is a short book of poetry, 32 pages with 27 poems.

Blurb: Gertrude Jekyll Dreams is the first full collection of poems by Helen Thomas. These personal, funny and moving poems are based on her 48 years of life, love, inspiration, flowers, travels, family and memory.

First Impressions: This was a step outside of my comfort zone as I don’t usually read poetry. Some of poems maybe too personal to the author for me to understand, some were hard to pinpoint, but others really resonated with me, and I wanted to read them again straight away and enjoy them a second time. I particularly liked My Parent’s Garden and Further Adventures In Art And Being.

Style: This is a neat little book, which is lovely to hold and read. The poems are set out one per page. There was space inside the author could have provided a little more details of herself (though there is a bio on the back cover.) She is an artist and I would have liked to have known more about her and if she drew the cover art and what the significance of it was.

Summary: Poems range from abstract, enjoyable to touching.  It can be devoured in one sitting, or read at a slower pace. You find you want to go back and revisit those poems that touched you.

Recommend to: This would make a lovely gift for someone who enjoys poetry.

Rating: I don’t feel at all qualified to rate this book, I don’t even know the names of the different forms of poetry.  However, I feel this is a good collection of poems that people can enjoy, and everyone should find something that resonates with them personally.

Check out the book on Amazon UK

Guest Post – Catherine Ryan Howard #DistressSignals

I am very pleased to have Catherine Ryan Howard on my blog today as she celebrates the release of her debut thriller ‘Distress Signals’. Over to you Catherine;

***

Why Didn’t I Self-Publish Distress Signals?

Catherine Ryan Howard

My debut thriller, Distress Signals, was published on May 5 by Corvus/Atlantic, the first in a two-book deal. (The second will be out this time next year.) If you search for my name on Amazon, you’ll find more results than that for my name, because starting in 2010, I self-published. I started with Mousetrapped, the story of the year and a bit I spent living in Orlando, Florida and working in Walt Disney World. I followed it up with Backpacked, the story of what I did after that, i.e. went backpacking around Central America for a couple of months. Finally – since the self-publishing of the first two went well – came the obligatory ‘how to’, Self-Printed: The Sane Person’s Guide to Self-Publishing.

So I have an established platform, I know how to self-publish and it’s gone well for me in the past. So why didn’t I self-publish Distress Signals too.

1. My goal was always to get published

My goal, since I was a child, was to get a novel published. I wrote Mousetrapped, initially, because I felt woefully underprepared for my move to Orlando and thought that the other people who went out there on the same programme I did might benefit from the book. I self-published it because no one was interested in doing the publishing bit for me. Non-fiction felt a low-stakes game for me – it wasn’t the only thing I’d ever wanted to do with my life, so there was significantly less pressure. I wasn’t crippled with fear and anxiety over every last decision. I could have fun with it, because failure wouldn’t be devastating.

I feel totally different about fiction, which is why I wanted an agent to represent it and me and then, hopefully, a publisher to get involved. If Distress Signals had been rejected all over town, my thoughts might have turned to self-publishing it too. But we didn’t get that far.

2. My dream needs a traditional publisher

I’ve held this dream for the best part of three decades and it looks a certain way: a champagne welcome to a publishing house, a beautiful printed book, that book on shelves in bookstores all over the country, interviews and features in newspapers and magazines, a launch party where someone else is footing the bill for the wine. (And all the other bills too…!) Five years or so ago when e-books had an explosive surge in popularity, this dream didn’t suddenly change. I didn’t suddenly decide, after about twenty-five years of wanting a very specific thing, that hey, this other thing will ‘do’ instead. My dream remained the same. And I needed a traditional publisher in order to achieve it.

I understand that if you go to the Kindle store to download your next read, it’s hard to tell if it’s been traditionally or self-published, and it doesn’t seem to matter. But for me, that’s looking at the process very selectively, through an incredibly narrow lens. Over the last year or more, my publisher has done countless things for me that I just could not achieve by myself or, at the very least, wouldn’t have the money, experience or contacts to make happen. Getting e-books on Amazon are just one small part of the publishing process. There’s so much more to it than that, and it’s a ‘more’ I can’t make happen for myself.

3. Team Distress Signals

I loved the challenge of self-publishing and I’m so proud of what I achieved with it, especially because I made it happen by myself. But it can be a lonely road. The buck stops with you. All mistakes are your own.

Right now I have a whole team of people working with me – my agent, my editor, publicists in Ireland and the UK – while numerous other people (designers, sales agents, digital managers) do more heavy lifting behind the scenes. We all have the same goal: to make Distress Signals the best book it can be, and to make its publication as successful as possible. Each person brings years of experience, unique insight and boundless enthusiasm to the table. Because I was paid an advance, these people have invested in me. They’ve taken a risk on me. Now, we’re all working together to make sure that risk pays off.

Yes, control has to be relinquished. Yes, there are frustrating days, or confusing decisions. But so far, I think it’s more than worth it.

* * *

Ultimately, I didn’t self-publish Distress Signals because I didn’t want to and I didn’t have to. That doesn’t mean I’m done with self-publishing though. In fact, I’m certain I’ll return to it again at some point in the future, because I want this to be my career and a career has highs and lows, feasts and famines. Also, traditional publishing runs on contracts, and contracts expire. I have this deal now, yes, but no one knows what’s going to happen in the future.

Even if things go swimmingly, I still think self-publishing should have a place in every author’s master plan. But for now, I’m seeing what the view is like from the other side.

ABOUT DISTRESS SIGNALS:

Standalone crime/thriller

Published May 5 by Corvus/Atlantic in Ireland and the UK, June 2 in Australia and New Zealand. Details of North American publication later in 2016 coming soon.

Did she leave, or was she taken?

The day Adam Dunne’s girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads ‘I’m sorry – S’ sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate – and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. To get the answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground…

Advance praise:

“Pacey, suspenseful and intriguing … [A] top class, page turning read. Catherine Ryan Howard is an astonishing new voice in thriller writing.” — Liz Nugent, author of 2014 IBA Crime Novel of the Year Unravelling Oliver

“An exhilarating debut thriller from a hugely talented author. Distress Signals is fast-paced, twisty and an absolute joy to read.” — Mark Edwards, #1 bestselling author of The Magpies and Follow You Home

Read a preview of the first three chapters here:

https://catherineryanhoward.com/access-your-exclusive-preview/

Amazon.co.uk link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Distress-Signals-Incredibly-Gripping-Psychological/dp/1782398384

ABOUT CATHERINE:

Catherine Ryan Howard was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1982. Prior to writing full-time, Catherine worked as a campsite courier in France and a front desk agent in Walt Disney World, Florida, and most recently was a social media marketer for a major publisher. She is currently studying for a BA in English at Trinity College Dublin.

Catherine Ryan Howard by City Headshots Dublin

http://www.catherineryanhoward.com/

http://www.DistressSignalsBook.com

Twitter: @cathryanhoward

Instagram: @cathryanhoward

Facebook: facebook.com/catherineryanhoward

#WordlessWedneday – Sleeping lady at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall

#AtoZchallenge 2016 results – reflection post

I’ve only been blogging since August 2015 so this is my first attempt at the #AtoZchallenge. I was interested to see how blogging everyday except Sunday’s has impacted my blog. Here are some of the April stats and March in brackets to compare.

New Followers = 60 (in March 15)

April views = 1458 ( in March 336)

April visitors = 479 (in March 151)

Visitors from = 38 countries (in March 14 countries)

Likes = 748 (in March 184)

Post most viewed = A Amber’s method: Top 5 writing tips 70 views (in March Book Review of Girl in the Ice, Plus Visions of Zarua giveaway and sites that review = 17 views each)

Posts published = April 32 (in March 21)

My most viewed and liked posts were writing related – Amber’s Method, Proof reading checklist, Beta readers and Hampton Court and Warwick Castle.

(Here’s the link to my A-Z challenge page. There are links to each letter if you missed any.)

My view on the AtoZchallenge

Pros – It’s a real confidence boost receiving such nice comments and likes. I made new blogging friends and got to share my favourite photos, recipes and my flash fiction story.

Cons – No time to write. It was hard to keep track of all the blogs I wanted to. My family were driven crazy by the daily obsession.

Final word – I joined in the challenge to show myself I could blog everyday. I also wanted to get more involved in the blogging community and find like minded people to follow.

Would I recommend the A-Z Challenge?  – Yes, it’s a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers and build your own platform. However, be warned that you won’t get much else done during April. Be prepared for that so you won’t spend the whole month feeling guilty.

***

Thanks to everyone who followed my April Challenge, I hope you continue to enjoy my posts in the future.

I am taking a rest from blogging as my WIP needs finishing if I hope to publish it this year. I’ll still be posting book reviews, photos and the occasional guest posts. I hope you can join me.

#AtoZchallenge 2016 results.

I’ve only been blogging since August 2015 so this is my first attempt at the #AtoZchallenge. I was interested to see how blogging everyday except Sunday’s has impacted my blog. Here are some of the April stats and March in brackets to compare.

New Followers = 60 (in March 15)

April views = 1458 ( in March 336)

April visitors = 479 (in March 151)

Visitors from = 38 countries (in March 14 countries)

Likes = 748 (in March 184)

Post most viewed = A Amber’s method: Top 5 writing tips 70 views (in March Book Review of Girl in the Ice, Plus Visions of Zarua giveaway and sites that review = 17 views each)

Posts published = April 32 (in March 21)

My most viewed and liked posts were writing related – Amber’s Method, Proof reading checklist, Beta readers and Hampton Court and Warwick Castle.

(Here’s the link to my A-Z challenge page. There are links to each letter if you missed any.)

My view on the AtoZchallenge

Pros – It’s a real confidence boost receiving such nice comments and likes. I made new blogging friends and got to share my favourite photos, recipes and my flash fiction story.

Cons – No time or to write. It was hard to keep track of all the blogs I wanted to. Family driven crazy by the daily obsession.

Final word – I joined in the challenge to show myself I could blog everyday. I also wanted to get more involved in the blogging community and find like minded people to follow.

Would I recommend the A-Z Challenge?  – Yes, it’s a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers and build your own platform. However, be warned that you won’t get much else done during April. Be prepared for that so you won’t spend the whole month feeling guilty.

***

Thanks to everyone who followed my April Challenge, I hope you continue to enjoy my posts in the future.

I am taking a rest from blogging as my WIP needs finishing if I hope to publish it this year. I’ll still be posting book reviews, photos and the occasional guest posts. I hope you can join me.

#AtoZchallenge Z – Zucchini Cake – #glutenfree #dairyfree

On the last day of the AtoZ challenge, I am really pleased to share my recipe for Zucchini cake. It’s my favourite cake of all time, and it’s almost healthy!

Think about the vitamins and minerals from those fresh ingredients, and it’s gluten/dairy free as well.

I’ve tweaked this recipe over the years and think I’ve finally found the perfect mix of ingredients. Recently both my kids have used this cake for homework assignments. Here is my daughter’s instructions on how to cook it.

Ingredients

3 eggs

400g of self-raising gluten free flour

100g of ground almonds

1tsp of salt

1tsp of ginger powder

150g of raisins

250g of brown sugar

150g of rapeseed oil

50g of caster sugar

Zest of a large orange

500g of grated carrot and courgette

3cm piece of ginger grated

 Instructions

First you need to get a bowl and scales. Put the bowl on the scales and measure 400g of self-raising flour.
Secondly add the rest of the dry ingredients which are ground almonds, salt, ginger powder and raisins.
Now get another bowl and put in the wet ingredients which are the rest of the ingredients.
Next tip a quarter of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and stir. Then repeat until there is no more dry mixture left.
Now line and grease 2 cake moulds and share the mixture between both.
Next put in the oven at 170 degrees fan oven and cook for an hour.
Lastly leave it to cool then enjoy.

(Do I have the new Delia on my hands?)

 

The kids love this cake and ask for it every birthday. They also love to help with the making; cracking eggs, grating, weighing ingredients, mixing, and eating it still warm from the oven.

It’s a wonderful cake for any time of year, especially in the summer when there are plenty of Zucchinis / courgettes to spare. It works for breakfast, lunch or tea, and is surprisingly good with custard. (I’m actually making this cake to take to a family BBQ tomorrow. Because it’s not too sweet, it goes perfectly as a dessert with alcohol!)

The cake freezes well, and fresh it last for a few days, but it does become drier the longer you keep it. No chance of that in this house.

Thanks for joining me on  my A-Z Challenge. It’s been fun, but I need a rest. Now to switch off the internet, flick on the kettle and resume editing my WIP.

Cake anyone?

Find links to all my other atoz posts here.

#AtoZchallenge Z – Zucchini Cake – #gluten free #dairy free

On the last day of the AtoZ challenge, I am really pleased to share my recipe for Zucchini cake. It’s my favourite cake of all time, and it’s almost healthy!

Think about the vitamins and minerals from those fresh ingredients, and it’s gluten/dairy free as well.

I’ve tweaked this recipe over the years and think I’ve finally found the perfect mix of ingredients. Recently both my kids have used this cake for homework assignments. Here is my daughter’s instructions on how to cook it.

Ingredients

3 eggs

400g of self-raising gluten free flour

100g of ground almonds

1tsp of salt

1tsp of ginger powder

150g of raisins

250g of brown sugar

150g of rapeseed oil

50g of caster sugar

Zest of a large orange

500g of grated carrot and courgette

3cm piece of ginger grated

 Instructions

First you need to get a bowl and scales. Put the bowl on the scales and measure 400g of self-raising flour.
Secondly add the rest of the dry ingredients which are ground almonds, salt, ginger powder and raisins.
Now get another bowl and put in the wet ingredients which are the rest of the ingredients.
Next tip a quarter of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and stir. Then repeat until there is no more dry mixture left.
Now line and grease 2 cake moulds and share the mixture between both.
Next put in the oven at 170 degrees fan oven and cook for an hour.
Lastly leave it to cool then enjoy.

(Do I have the new Delia on my hands?)

 

The kids love this cake and ask for it every birthday. They also love to help with the making; cracking eggs, grating, weighing ingredients, mixing, and eating it still warm from the oven.

It’s a wonderful cake for any time of year, especially in the summer when there are plenty of Zucchinis / courgettes to spare. It works for breakfast, lunch or tea, and is surprisingly good with custard. (I’m actually making this cake to take to a family BBQ tomorrow. Because it’s not too sweet, it goes perfectly as a dessert with alcohol!)

The cake freezes well, and fresh it last for a few days, but it does become drier the longer you keep it. No chance of that in this house.

Thanks for joining me on  my A-Z Challenge. It’s been fun, but I need a rest. Now to switch off the internet, flick on the kettle and resume editing my WIP.

Cake anyone?

Find links to all my other atoz posts here.

#AtoZChallenge Y – Yummy bird seed toast

I wasn’t looking forward to finding a subject for Y in the A-Z challenge, so I went for something fun. This yummy bird seed toast is fun to do with the kids, a good way to feed the birds as well as using up old bread. Also, I hope Bill Oddie will approve of this better use of bread which has no nutritional value to birds.

Instructions

Toast old bread. Poke a hole through it, not too close to the edge, and thread with string.

Spread it with lard or fat.

Sprinkle on seeds and press down.

Put in the fridge. This helps the fat set and the seeds will stick better.

Hang outside in a secluded spot and watch the birds queue up to enjoy.

In my case, we had other visitors, but we don’t mind.

Neither does Poppy.

Since making this bird seed toast, I noticed a neighbour had made a similar feeder using a pine cone smeared with fat and seeds. This method really would make Bill Oddie happy I’m sure.

***

And finally, tomorrow a very special treat for Z…

For links to all my other A-Z blog posts, please click here.

#AtoZChallenge X – Xtremely Healthy Lunch

One of the perks of working from home is homemade, warm and healthy lunches. I still want it to be fast and easy to prepare, I can’t stand to waste my precious writing hours cooking.

A stir fry is quick and easy, and can use up whatever’s in the fridge. The small amount of oil needed must surely be countered by the lovely fresh vegetables. I prefer to use olive oil or rapeseed oil

I like a combo of coloured peppers, courgettes, onions or leek, mushrooms, tomato puree and whatever else needs using. You could even use cabbage or broccoli. I also like to add some tinned and or fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs towards the end of cooking. You just chop it all up and chuck it in the frying pan. Easy.

Top with a few cubes of crumbled feta cheese (available low fat), a couple of handfuls of tortilla chips (available gluten free) and it’s a healthy delight.

You could finish the meal with a slice of Gluten free Carrot cake or the Ultimate Flapjack.

Of course you may want to keep it healthy and have an Orange Vitamin Shake or a hot cup of Elderberry syrup instead.

But I recommend waiting until Z… That’s a real winner.

Now you’re all set for an afternoon of writing, editing or proofreading (check posts on E & P if you need a helping hand). Good luck.

Do you have any Xtremely healthy lunch ideas?

***

Tomorrow a little something for the birds….

Check out the rest of my a to z posts here.

#WordlessWednesday – Reflections #photo