S.P. Oldham's Blog, page 21

Celebration Competition!

I have had a lot to be thankful for this week - the birth of my first grandchild on Tuesday, and my birthday yesterday. To celebrate, I am running another competition, a picture prompt as they have proved popular so far. The prizes and the prompt are below.

The Competition:

Tell me a story about the pink shoe. Who does it belong to? Why is it there? It can be funny, frightening, light or dark. Let your imagination go free! The winner will be the one who makes me laugh loudest, or think deepest, or has me jumping at shadows!

The Prize:

Fruit of the Loom XXL T shirt featuring zombie design by Emily Williams

Notebook featuring zombie design by Emily Williams

Bookmark

So Lost in Words pen

Competition in no way associated with Facebook. Closes Midnight Sunday 15th August GMT. Only responses left on this post https://www.facebook.com/.../pcb.../1435648726804869 or here on my website blog will be counted. Good luck!

I am a Grandma!

Thought I would share a bit of my life with you, since this is an especially big deal for us. I am now, for the first time, a Grandma! (Nanny is my official title it seems!) My first grandchild was born in the early morning, three days ago! She is absolutely beautiful and we are all already besotted with her. First grandbaby on both sides, so this little one has really fallen on her feet!

I won't share photos here as her parents want to keep her off social media, apart from friends, for obvious reasons. Sad, but necessary these days. So I will simply say that she is gorgeous and you will just have to take my word for it!

Hope everyone is well and happy. My birthday is coming up so prepare yourself for a competition to celebrate!

S P Oldham

P.S if you have checked out and enjoyed any of my books, then please review. I will be honest and say I struggle for reviews, but those few I have are (for the most part) positive. Also, if you take a look at my website or goodreads and facebook pages then please drop me a line, comment or question - let me know you passed through!

Ancient Torture and Excecution

I have been looking at some forms of ancient torture and execution methods in recent Silly Sunday (not Zombie) Limericks. Why not take a look and let me know what you think? Maybe you know of one you would like me to feature? Just let me know! Silly Sunday Zombie Limericks - A Bit of Dark Fun  

Silly Sunday Zombie (or not Zombie) Limericks

If you've a few minutes to spare and want some bite-sized dark humour to while away the time, take a look at my Silly Sunday Zombie (or not Zombie) Limericks. Silly Sunday Zombie Limericks on So Lost in Words Let me know which one is your favourite. Got a suggestion for a limerick, or want to be included in one? Just comment below or send me a message. Enjoy! 

Uncaged Reviews/June Horrors Giveaway/Signed or Personalised Messages on Wakeful Children!

You can now find Cyrene's review for 'Sleep, Think, Die' - Book 1 in The Mindless Trilogy - in the October 2020 edition of Uncaged Book Reviews, page 110. Lots more to read in the magazine too of course, including a host of Featured Authors. 

Uncaged Reviews - October 2020 Edition

The Prolific Works June Horrors Giveaway is now over! Thanks to everyone who claimed a book, whether it was mine or others. If you enjoy your free read, please consider leaving the author a rating or even better, an honest review. Thank you. July already!

Last but not least, Get yourself a paperback edition of Wakeful Children for half price direct from Troubador. Want a signed copy? Buying it as a gift and want a message for the recipient? Buy direct from me! Cost will include p&p. Message me for more info or go straight to Troubador. Please Note: VERY limited stocks left, so first come, first served...

Also available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle. Eleven short, intriguing, unsettling stories by S P Oldham, every story fresh and original. Beautifully descriptive prose, sometimes shockingly brutal passages coupled with vividly imagined and clearly depicted storylines make Wakeful Children: A Collection of Horror and Supernatural Tales an intriguing, inventive debut for this author.

Troubador Bookshop

These short stories are intended for mature readers only. Despite the title, this book is not at all suitable for children.

Now on Audible! E is for Exorcism

I am excited to tell you that 'E is for Exorcism,' one of the 'A-Z Anthologies of Horror' by Red Cape Publishing, is now available on Audible. My short story 'A Grave Mistake' is part of this anthology, and you can now listen to it! Thank you P.J Blakey-Novis and Red Cape Publishing. My first story ever on Audible.Awesome!

June Horror Giveaway - Prolific Works

To grab a free download of Hag's Breath or one of an assortment of other horror books by various authors, click the link and claim! Run by Prolific Works, get yourself a whole lot of free horror reads while you can. Runs until the end of June 2021. Enjoy! 

Prolific Works June Horror Giveaway

Competition Winner - Silent Wing

The winner of the Silent Wing competition is...

Adrian Bold!

Congratulations Adrian. I will be in touch very soon to arrange delivery of your prize to you. Thank you so much to everyone who entered. There are more competitions to come, so keep checking back, feel free to like and share my page too, if you want! If you would like to read the story Silent Wing features in, it is called The Feathered Nest and is free right here on my website (with lots of other free reads.) Link below. Please leave me a comment if you pop by. Congratulations again @Adrian Bold! 

The Feathered Nest (Scroll down, a few stories on this page.)

Silversurfers - Editor's Choice for May 2021!

Well that has cheered me up no end! Am thrilled to say that my poem 'Don't Take Your Fish and Chips Outside' has won Editor's Choice for May, along with a voucher for £25. Thank you so much Silversurfers for making my day, and to everyone who read it and commented.

Prompted, unwittingly, by my lovely mum, Audrey Mitchell, during a day out at Barry Island.

Don’t Take Your Fish and Chips Outside

Don’t take your fish and chips outside
Don’t lose those golden wedges, triple fried
For the moment you step out you will be spied
By that predator of portions, beady-eyed

The Gull circles high up in the skies
Watching as you tuck in to your fries
Then, wholly uncaring of your cries
It swoops down to steal away its prize

You may screech and flap your arms in fright
You may hold on to your meal with all your might
But that greedy gull takes one enormous bite
While barely slowing wingbeats in its flight

And all you can do is stand and stare
As your lunch disappears into thin air
Leaving you in a kind of sad despair
But the Gull, hunger sated, does not care

So if you don’t want your chips to go out with the tide
If you don’t want to stand there mortified
Take my free advice, swallow your pride
Don’t take your fish and chips outside

S P Oldham

via GIPHY

Competition Time! Silent Wing/The Feathered Nest

COMPETITION TIME!

These beautiful notecards are very special to me. They are a depiction of a character in a story I wrote for a defunct online competition (find out more about that here: https://solostinwords.com/home/mari-on-the-mountain) But the special bit is that my talented friend Mike Steward illustrated them for me. This modest man has a beautiful gift. Take a look at his work and see for yourself. His lovely partner Tina Estall is also very creative and makes some wonderful things. Check them both out!

The competition then: to be in with the chance of winning ONE of these beautiful notecards as well as a signed copy of the story it comes from, The Feathered Nest, simply comment 'Silent Wing.'

Only comments left here at So Lost in Words or on my Facebook page will be counted as entries. A winner will be chosen at random. Competition not in any way associated with Facebook. Competition closes Midnight GMT Monday 31st May. Good luck!