Nicky Bond's Blog, page 20

Over-indulgence, the Bestest TV, and a Gravy Boat of Dreams...

Live scenes from my houseAre we having fun? Is the Bank Holiday weekend all you dreamed of and more? Are you craving the absence of hourly chocolate from your life? Worry not, we're nearly there! As you scoff 'just one more' cream egg, let's turn our minds to non-chocolate issues for a moment. 
My lovely covers!

Writing NewsThe writing hiatus ends soon. Tomorrow, actually. I'll be back on track with the first draft of Leeza McAuliffe, Book 2 before you know it. I do know what the title's going to ...

Busy Business, Fancy Food, and Panicked Post...

She's just seen a kid
with a Lindt bunny.Morning, and I hope you're enjoying the run up to Easter/the long weekend/the coldest of all the bank holidays - insert your own description of choice. As I get older, I try to rein in any instinctive urges I have to judge others. If no one's getting hurt, it's my job to curtail my mental commentary on the supposed rights and wrongs of other people's decisions. I realise, however, I'm in full judgy cow mode when I see kids eating Easter eggs before Easter...

Oscar Moments You May Have Missed...

I watched the Oscars live. Ish. I was on an hour's delay, which meant avoiding social media spoilers. When the incident happened, I relied on the feelings from my gut, rather than other people's thoughts on Twitter. 
First I assumed it was a joke. Then I felt a brief panic when it was clear it wasn't. And then, once the guest host finished his patter (albeit, shook) I watched Best Documentary be won by Summer of Soul and I forgot about it. 
Yeah, I really did. The incident that everyone banged on ...

Fit Food, Fast Deutsch and, Free Money...

525, 600 minutes,
how do you measure,
measure a year?

Morning, morning, morning. Life's short, no day but today, carpe diem... yes I've had a birthday. But it's still true. No one's getting any younger so we must crack on. Time is ticking, tempus fugit, and on we march!

Writing NewsHere's a PSA for writers. It's something you only know until someone tells you, so I'm doing my bit and passing it on. Register with ALCS. (Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society.) That's it. That's the tweet. If you'...

Nom de Plumes, Mad Puddings, and Beatles Bandwagons...

Roll up, roll up, welcome to the week. No, please, you're welcome to it. LOLZ. Got any plans? Taking advantage of the slight rise in temperatures? Still in winter mode and bingeing box sets under a blanket? Look, you do you. There are no lofty expectations here. Take your time, have a minute, keep it real. No one likes a show off.
From my website.
Gender ambiguity as
well as a high last initial.
Win! Writing NewsWhen I published my first book, Carry the Beautiful , I spent approximately six seconds d...

Eurovision Entries, Cheddar Cheese, and Subtitled Sitcoms ...

Ah, that'll be it.This year's running away from us. Right? It's broken free of its reins and galloped off into the sunset. I'm currently enjoying my third period of 2022 but it was Christmas five minutes ago. Ridiculous. If nothing else, that casual mention of my menstrual cycle should sharpen minds and stiffen resolve. Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers. Or something. Look, I would NEVER smell flowers. Not with my sensitive nasal passages. But whatever's your equivalent of taking stock ...

Hints of Spring, Ice Cream Toppings, and Potato Faff...

Look at all that lovely hay fever.Back to the weekly update after last week's longer ramble. I say, longer ramble, it was a few YouTube clips strung together to aid our collective mental health. I know, I know, it was a cop out, yet I still found myself  rewatching them. Repeatedly. It's that sort of time. So other than the obvious awfulness, what's happening these days? I've noticed the people that care about such things are talking about daffodils. We're heading towards the official start of S...

Curated Uplifting Distractions...

Human nature doesn't change. Not really. People have always wanted to know what's going on. When huge world events occurred a hundred years ago, they turned to the wireless. Towards the end of the 20th century, it was 24 hour TV news that would keep individuals informed. Today, with social media and the ability to 'doom-scroll,' the news is no longer restricted to the living room TV set. It's wherever you go, allowing you to keep scrolling despite increasingly distressing content.
I've spent much...

Banned Books and Windy Eunice...

It's one way to handle the rain.It's been a wet and windy few days in the UK so I hope this post finds you safe and well. We've also found a new hero for our times - Jerry, from Big Jet TV. If you caught his live stream on Friday, you'll have seen him at Heathrow, commentating on any plane that landed. Be like Jerry. Find joy and thrills in the smallest or most random of things. Or, if that's a stretch, perhaps try to channel the cool, calm heads of the pilots that were filmed touching down. As ...

Grim Waterfronts, the Definitive Reacher, and Mofo Yorkies...

I really do like Otterspool
but even I can see
this is grim.More news, more scandal, more lies. Hello and welcome to another week in modern Britain. Let's refresh our memories. A picture of the Downing Street quiz that was apparently within the rules and not a social gathering (even though there's champagne, tinsel necklaces, and a packet of crisps opened out to encourage multiple-eaters) hit the news last week. It took place on 15th December 2020. A quick flick through my phone tells me I didn't ...