C.L. Peache's Blog, page 38

Day two… Pirates!

After a good sleep apart from waking up to the welcome sound of a little sprinkle of rain. For those not in the UK, we’ve had some pretty hot days recently – I think the hottest ever recorded here since records began ((you probably made that up!)) I was also woken up by the sound and feel of my head, headbutting the gunnel at some point in the night ((A gunnel is basically a lip inside the boat where most of the wires and pipes and bits and bobs run along)) one of the jobs we want to do is extend the bed so I don’t constantly headbutt it or bash it with my arm. Most nights it’s fine and I don’t connect my head with the boat but when I do, the boat always wins!

After breakfast we move the boat over to the other side of the river to fill up with water and get chatting to a guy who was our neighbour for a few weeks in the Marina. We were going to buddy up and meet them but they are going for a nice sedate pace and it’s not that we are rushing but this is the longest stint of cruising time we have and we will have loads of time to explore this area when we can only go away for a weekend ((Come on Peachy, you need to write a best seller so you can go continuously cruising)) I’m trying Brackets, I’m trying. Where was I? Ah, so we want to ‘crank it’ as Robbie Cumming’s would say, and get as far as we can before we have to about turnabout and head home. I’m mean, it’s not as if we are rushing at a sedate 3mph or maybe we are going a bit faster on the river. I was also complimented on my rope tidiness – thank you very much!

Right, that’s you up to date and me about to get stuck into my fantasy novel whilst the Captain steers the boat up the River Trent…

Made it through Holme Lock and had a lovely chat with the lockie after a bit of struggle to tie up when the wind caught the boat. These big locks have blue tubes set into the lock walls which you can tie your rope too, as they are way too high for the ropes to reach to tie to on the landing lock – is that the right term? Any experts out there, feel free to correct me! The Lockie and I were chatting about the different kinds of boats. We haven’t been liveaboards for very long but already we have discovered there is a ‘bit’ of a thing between the different boaters.

I love the fact that apparently Narrowboats are also called pencils cases – lol. And people have who have Yoghurt Pots (cruisers!) seem to have a pre-formed opinion about each other. I think this probably stems from the fact that I would say most ((She doesn’t know this for a fact)) cruisers are generally someone’s hobby/weekend thing rather than living aboard and maybe, mostly, a narrowboat is a home. Obviously, I have nothing to base this opinion on and I’m a writer so I can just make stuff up! We were also talking about Widebeams as I asked what the ‘nickname’ for those was if our boat was a Pencil Case and cruisers are Yoghurt Pots, he said they are called BB – I will let you decide what that means!

Anyway, through and past the lock and we moored up so we could empty the toilet at the Elsan. We have decided that whenever the opportunity comes to fill up with water or empty the toilet you might as well do it while you can. Past the lock there is a nice low landing on the left to moor up and it’s only a short distance to the Elsan. They also have bins and toilets and it’s where we picked up a couple of old tyres when we came through the first time. These are really useful when mooring up in some areas and keep the boat still when those pesky ‘speeding boaters’ go past.

As we continued up the river we came across some sailing boats which was all a little tricky as I’m not sure they have any more control than we do when the wind is blowing. But we all navigated successfully with no ‘rubbing’ required.

As we cruised through Nottingham, we went under a train bridge as a train was going over and waved at the train driver, who waved back – made me think of Colin from Foxes Afloat – traiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. ((These are YouTubers for those who don’t know them. Vlogs are well worth a watch)) As I’ve said, I never like turning up to the Nottingham lock as there is café/pub right next to it so you have a few Gongoozlers and the paddles can be a bit stiff. It was really windy as we made our way into the lock but luckily there was another narrowboat which is a charity, and they take people on free trips, so they did the locks – result!

We moored up shortly after and had a lunch and a mini power nap before making use of the Sainsburys which is only a couple of minutes’ walk. It was then it was back to the boat and onward up the canal. It was nice to be back on a canal after so long. As we cruised along, we were treated to kingfishers following us up the river and of course the grumpy heron’s hiding along the river banks.

We made it to Beeston after a lovely cruise. There were no free moorings, so we filled the lock – all of about 1 foot of water. These locks already have their windlasses/handles attached to them and when you leave you have to leave the two red paddles open. Every lock seems to have a slightly different way of operating them even though they have the same function, to let water in and out. We did have one moment when we came across a rope strewn across the canal and my mind went straight to pirates and we were going to be boarded – they would have to fight me if they want my crisps, coffee or biscuits! Turned out they were just pulling a boat across to moor with their other one. Panic over.

It’s surprising how many people you see living along the rivers and canals. It makes you wonder about their story and also how the heck do some of them get water, fuel etc as they don’t seem to have moved for decades? It feels like a life removed from society, a completely different world but running parallel to land life.

We finally find a mooring on one of the landing locks outside Cranfleet lock. I don’t think strictly you should moor there but we know Cranfleet lock can be a little tricky and takes time to fill, so we didn’t want to risk getting to the other side to find no moorings so late in the day. It was windy on the pontoon but what a lovely mooring with views up and down the River Trent. Sublime. The promised rain came later in the night, it’s lovely to be nice and cosy in bed listening to the wind and rain – as long as you have double checked your ropes are tight of course and you have no leaks!

After dinner we went for a wander up the tow path for a sneaky drink at one of the pubs – which had a full sized Dalek in it! We then strolled back for an early night. We’ve had two full on days of cruising, which have been great but it’s quite physical activity. I put my pedometer on today and managed 8,500 steps which isn’t bad for saying I haven’t walked the tow path today other than to the pub. Amazing how many times you walk up and down a 60ft boat! Right, time for bed! Although we still haven’t decided which way to go tomorrow!

I’ve made some great progress on book three in my fantasy series and can taste the end near by! ((Peachy’s books are available from Amazon #justsaying…)) Thanks Brackets, I’m not very good at promoting my own books hence why my sales look a bit sad!

KingfisherLevel in flood! eeekkkkMight River TrentTHE NORTHPiratesTidy Ropes!Sailing away

Day One… and we are off…

Well, this is it. We have filled the boat with water, filled the fridge with vegetables as well as booze. Charged the walkie-talkies and after a call to lock keeper ((It’s always good to call ahead and let the lockie know where you are etc. It helps them to make sure they are not filling and emptying the lock unnecessarily if boats can share the lock.)) Have you been doing your research, Brackets? ((Yes, what else was I going to whilst you were busy for 3 months?))

We arrive into Newark Town Lock and have a chat with the lockie – they are all so lovely and helpful. We will be regulars through Newark Town Lock so it’s good to get to know them all. All goes well and we cruise out and continue on the mighty River Trent. Luckily this part isn’t tidal, although we are used to the river now after bringing our boat back home to Newark from Mercia Marina at the end of May and a little weekend cruise to Hazelford Lock.

Our plan today is stop for lunch at Hazelford Lock and then ‘carry-on cruising’. I think typically we will end up arriving in Nottingham on Saturday afternoon – just when I don’t want to arrive! I find the lock a little difficult there and it can be quite daunting with everyone watching from canal side – I suppose this is something to get used to.

I’m going to write this blog as we go along on our journey so it might be a bit of what’s happening now, what we plan to do, a reflection on the day etc depending on when I get chance to write it. I’m not going to be over fussy with the editing either as I have other writing projects to work on, so I hope you forgive any mistakes! It’s so lovely sitting at the dinette ((This is a fixed table and chairs on the boat which converts into a double bed)) I really wanted a boat with a dinette as it gives you such a lot of extra space and as you would expect, this is at a premium on a boat. This now functions as our place to eat, writing desk, jigsaws and gaming table and everything else– very useful.

Our plan for this cruise is to get as far as we can in 2 weeks and then turn back. We don’t really have a destination in mind other than to enjoy the cruise, have time for walking and for me, some writing and reading. This is about taking time out and just enjoying this massive life change as well as getting used to the boat properly and finding how we live in the space and of course, much faffing.
***

It’s 8.30pm and we are moored up just outside Stoke Bardolph lock. It been a lovely day but after setting off at 9am with a stop outside Hazelford lock for lunch, we are ready for a rest. It was one of those cruising days where the lockies ask you where you’re going and how far and we didn’t really know. We wanted to just cruise until we’d had enough, possibly go as far as Holme Lock but in the end we decided to stop at Stoke Bardolph as the lockie said it was a nice quiet mooring. He said he’d let the lockie know and the gates would be open ready for us. ((Lockies are usually on from 9-5 on the main locks we think!)) Sure enough, we turned up and then the realisation dawned that we would have operate the lock ourselves. We’ve done plenty of locks using brute strength, ignorance and a windlass but not a key operated one. Oh the pressure.

The other half dropped me off at the landing lock as he is better with the boat than me. So off I trot to operate the very, very, very large lock. I found the controls and set about sticking my key in like I knew what I was doing as people were walking past. Pretending confidence and blind ignorance is a mantra for life. I read the instructions, very important, checked the paddles were closed and after The Plot had been maneuvered into place, I closed the gates at the push of a button – ohhh the power. So much easier than using a windlass, just a simple press of the button and the hydraulics do all the work.

I quickly figured out ((Was that because you read the instructions properly on a second look?!)) that if you press one button it opens one sluice ((A sluice is an opening in the gates which lets the water in/out to fill/empty a lock.))  if you press them simultaneously then it opens two sluices on each gate. I’m glad I went with one with the Captain looking after the boat on his own, it was a nice gentle fill and it was soon time to lower the paddles and open the gate. It was so simple and another canal/river first for me. I find it’s all about taking your time, we are not here to rush and it might look a nice sedate way of life and usually it is but you can get in trouble in a second, so I would rather be careful and be safe. Stories of boats overturning is enough to make anyone careful, we don’t have another home.

After a nice meal of Quiche, new potatoes and salad we went for a little wander. One of the reasons we made this move onto a boat was to change our lifestyle. We had a routine of coming home from work and just sitting, you don’t get much chance to do that with a boat as there is always something to do, maybe because we are newish to boating, the ropes need constant retying and faffing in general – we have got better at this and have now experts at mooring – until you’re not. Just when you feel you have mastered it all goes wrong, usually when someone is watching. Our walk took us around Stoke Woods which is now managed to make sure the native trees thrive and there is a lovely path running through it. We stumbled across some farmers fields and despite being so close to civilisation you feel a millions miles away from anyone.

Anyway, that’s day one done. A glass of fizz is required and then an early night. This boating makes you tired!

P.S. Just remembered when we were in a lock, the lockie was asking for our number ((You need a canal and river trust licence to use the rivers/canals in the UK)) I’m ashamed to say I don’t know it off by heart yet. Anyway, there were plenty of Gongoozlers ((This is what they call people who watch boats!)) on the side and they all started shouting the number to the lockie! HA, hilarious. Thanks Gongoozlers!

P.P.S – if I had pound for every person who commented on the name of our boat i would be able to give up work! lol. It’s lovely though, the community surrounding and on the canals/river is so welcoming.

A few pics from the journey. I keep forgetting to take pics because i’m too busy looking at the scenery or writing!

Prologue…

Well, it’s been a while! ((A while, it’s been nearly 3 months Peachy! I mean, I know you’ve been selling your house, moving onto a boat, changing jobs and helping at Newark Book Festival (where you fan-girled/woman’d on Fran and Rich from Floating Our Boat) but come on! ONE WORD – PRIORITIES! Have you actually managed any writing in the last 3 months…))

Erm, the answer is no, ((…)) and before you say anything, a writer doesn’t have to be writing to be writing – I’ve been coming up with ideas, planned stories and promoted my books through blogs and online chats, so I have been writing sort of. ((You bloody writer folk have a flipping answer for everything!)) Also, I was so excited to meet Fran and Rich! ((I know you have literally told everyone!))

Anyway, for those not following me on social media, we have moved house and onto a narrowboat. It all went perfectly but of course that does not stop the stress and sleepless nights because I don’t have a crystal ball and I didn’t know it would all go so well. But here we are about to embark on our first ‘proper’ cruise. We have been out on the boat twice since we moved on here at the end of May. To bring it back to the Marina, and then a little cruise to test the engine work we’d had done, all was fine but the shower broke so we had to return. After much faffing we discovered the wiring was shorting the electrics and obviously the shower pump was wired into the aerial electric things – as it is on boats!

In an attempt to keep these blogs short ((thank goodness for that. I’ve been worrying that the first blog after a break would be some kind of epic sick up of words!)) nicely put Brackets. I’ve decided I’m going to attempt to blog at the end of each day with a little update on cruising life, which will include writing of course! They might be a bit behind ‘real time’ though as I’m focusing on writing first and foremost as well as cruising.

Without further ado, here is an update on writing life… I’ve so far managed to send my edits back to my digital publisher, Saga Fiction for my latest romance novel and they’ve asked me to contribute to an Anthology they are putting together. I had a moment of creatively and stayed up late writing my short story, so I’ve emailed over for them to say yes or no.

I’m so pleased with how Power of Nature has been received which is available now on Amazon. The reviews are fabulous and I feel its job done when people connect with my characters the way I intended and all those hours of writing and editing are worth it.

A couple of reviews “Loved this book, was very hard to put down after a reading a few chapters just wanted to continue reading it as it was pulling you in to find out more about Harriet and her plight. Brilliant characters, that I could almost visualise it as a movie. It had murder, mystery, love, and I loved the way the story had an eco tale to tell.”

“If you like thrillers/mysteries with a fast-moving plot and a main character who has depth and develops through the story, I think you will enjoy this book. “

((turns out you can tell a good tale, Peachy – I’m impressed.)) I know right, who knew? This is the first one of my books to go on ‘blog tour’ so that was all very exciting. It was a bit difficult to keep track of everything with life being busy but it added some happiness to each day when a review came in. The book has been pinging up and down the charts so if you want to buy a kindle copy then click the link above. I hope you enjoy it.

I’ve also had a couple of stories published in a new anthology with my writing group, Fosseway Writers. All credit to them as all I did was throw a couple of stories at them and they did all the work with the editing etc. I love the title… Blood, Sweat and Typewriters! ((That is genius Peachy, I bet you didn’t come up with it?!)) No, I’m pretty sure it was Nick who had that stroke of genius. Anyway, it’s available from Amazon and buying a copy supports our writing group to book speakers and have workshops so you’re supporting lots of people, as well as the local library and café where we have our meetings.

Right, time to write…

P.S. if anyone knows how to add a photo from my phone without having to resize etc for a blog post can you let me know please? I used to be able to just upload them but now they seem to want resizing etc and it’s a faff so i keep using stock images – thanks in advance if you know an easy way!

New books and exciting life news…

I seem to be a bit all the over the shop with my blog posts. ((Tell me about it Peachy, I don’t know if I’m coming or going and I like my routine you know. I’m not just here for you to pick up and drop me whenever you feel like it! Anyway, get to the good news!))

GOOD NEWS – book 2 in the Festival of Time Series: Rescue, is available on Amazon. As always there was that terrifying ‘pressing of the button’ when it goes live and then there is the ‘long wait’ for the paperback to arrive in the post to make sure I haven’t accidently uploaded my life story ((Well, it’s not as if everyone isn’t aware of what goes on in your life since you tell literally everyone, all the time. Even people who don’t know you, know you.)) It’s called engaging with your readers! Anyway, book 2 is alive and if you want to download it or buy a paper copy then that would be wonderful. I mean it has dragons, magic, and adventure – what’s not to like. The Kindle version is on offer for 99p from 10th-17th April so please download your copy… book three is well on its way and I have passed the 51k mark!

My new e-book will be published by Saga Fiction will be published on 16th April, ‘Power of Nature’ the blurb…
Harriett loves the solitude and healing power of the beach. As she settles into a new life, she cautiously tries to forge new friendships. When the handsome stranger on the beach strikes an unusual friendship with her, Harriet is almost convinced she has left her traumatic past behind. But the discovery of a body on the beach sends her life into turmoil. Harriet is now questioning everything and everyone around her­—even herself. 
Because Harriett has a secret. Her traumatic past means she cannot trust the memories of her earlier life. As suspicions around the dead body rise, questions are asked and investigations are being made. And Harriet is caught at the centre of the storm. 
Will Harriett’s past ruin her future forever? Will her memory return? Will love and the power of nature heal her past traumas?
((Wow, that does sound exciting. I love the one-liner for this… What would you do if you couldn’t trust your own memory? I think they wrote this about you, Peachy!))

On Thursday I took part in my very first podcast with Kristina Adams as part of podcast on the Writer’s Cookbook it was really good fun so I cannot wait to share that with you next month.
I’m also taking part in a Facebook live chat with a fellow author Varun Gwalani as his new book ‘The Only Way Out is Death’ which is brilliant, I’m halfway through and loving it! There are limited places on this chat… click here to register

To my final bit of news…

We are in the process of selling our house with the ultimate plan of buying a canal boat and cruising the canal network – writer afloat! This is in the early days of planning but we are hoping to do this massive change sooner rather than later so watch out for future blogs. (And if you have a place to rent in the meantime let me know!)

Right, that’s it from me today. Good luck with all your projects and I might be back in touch very soon as it’s my blog anniversary next week! ((Well, I will make sure I put my life on hold for the next riveting instalment of your life… it’s all you, you, you! I’m not sure about living on a boat Peachy what if I get seasick!))

Well, it is a blog about my writing journey, Brackets. What do you expect, it’s going to be about me! Sorry everyone, domestic is over, as you were! xx

My near death experience…

This is a different type of blog to my usual ramblings. Not much to with writing, although I wish the contents were from a novel and not a real life lived experience. I’m all for research and experiences to help make my writing/story more authentic but this is one I would have happily passed on.

It all started, not once upon a time but once upon a normal Saturday morning, on the weekend before we were due to fly to Madeira for our first holiday abroad for 2 years, due to the bloody, boring, flipping, had enough pandemic! I’d been doing well health wise after catching covid before xmas. On boxing day I’d had a word with myself and was determined not to develop long covid – I’m not sure there is much you can do about it really but I’ve suffered post-viral fatigue before and I wanted to do everything I could to avoid it, so I started doing yoga with Adriene on YouTube and instead of going at it like ‘a  bull at a gate’ I was sensible and took my time, didn’t do any moves which were too much. I upped my walking but again sensibly and ate well. By the Saturday in question, I’d lost 8.5lb and was feeling fantastic. ((People don’t need your whole medical history, Peachy. Why don’t you just post your NHS log in and let people read your records – longer than a George RR Martin Novel!))

Saturday morning I woke up with an indescribable pain in right shoulder blade. In hindsight I think I must have simply slept funny and ended up with a trapped nerve. It was agony, so much so it made me feel sick and groan and swear quite a lot. I had a failed trip to the bathroom to be sick – didn’t happen and went back into the bedroom. I perched myself next to the other half and said, I feel dizzy’ I’ve fainted 3 times in my life and I pride myself on the few seconds notice I give people before I hit the deck. What happened in the next few seconds – what felt like hours, can only be described as a near death experience. I’ve tried to reconcile it in my mind that I’m just being dramatic but since the other half was there to witness it, I cannot accept it was anything but that.

When I fainted, I saw a swirling red light ((That will be the devil calling for all the terrible things you’ve done to your characters over the years! Or maybe just the blood rushing to your head!)) I confess I’m not religious in any way, shape or form, and this colour/image only made me think of Sauron and the ‘one eye’. Basically, I was Frodo, fighting evil. As I said, I have fainted before and have never experienced anything like this. In that moment, I knew if I didn’t fight, I wouldn’t wake up. It was that simple. At this same moment in the real-world, my other half said after I’d been arching my back and gurgling. I remember trying to shout to him and tell him he needed to do something, so maybe that was the gurgling. At this point, he said I stopped breathing – for once i wasn’t full of hot air! He then blew into my mouth and a few seconds later, the red light gave way to a blurred vision of my hero talking into his phone as he had called 999. I cannot tell you the relief I felt at seeing his face. I knew at that moment I had a fighting chance. I was awake. I could fight. I was from Yorkshire after all and pretty darn stubborn and I wanted to go on bloody holiday!

Lots of sobbing followed as the relief washed over me. I’m not known for crying – if I manage once every 10 years it’s classed as emotional – the emotions of a swinging brick my friend says! I’m just not a crier. But I think I poured out at least a hundred years’ worth. I remember I kept saying sorry, for what for I’m not sure. Nearly dying on him? Causing a drama just before our holiday? I don’t know.

The 3 paramedics arrived very quickly. The NHS are the best! And they tried to calm my breathing down. The breathing exercises I’d being doing as part of yoga helped, but it took a while for the panic to settle as they hooked me up to various machines to see what the heck was going on. Unsurprisingly, I was given a clean bill of health. I said I’d felt the healthiest I’d been in a while and my body stats reflected this. I must have simply passed out due to the pain and who knows why it went so dramatic after that. Those who know me, know I walked on a fractured hip which I broke doing the Yorkshire 3 peaks. I did the damage after twisting my knee on the top of Ingleborough and had to walk the rest of the way with all the pressure on one leg. This is what we decided fractured when they found the fracture 7 months after my constant moaning, hospital visits and ice packs on my ass for months to help with the pain. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I can handle a bit of pain – not to say in a macho way but it shows how extreme the pain was if it indeed was the reason I flaked out.

So, drama over. Paramedics gone, after completing a ridiculous amount of paperwork which they honestly need to sort out – what a waste of their time to have to duplicate information. They had to type everything into an iPad and then write it all out! In this day and age – I ask you! I get the data is needed for your records and if anything else happened… but really, this could be made easier for them. They were all fantastic even though the emergency was over when they arrived. I had a holiday to go on after all.

The upshot of all this, well I’m not really sure. These near-death experiences are supposed to make you re-evaluate life and I guess it has. To be honest I’m pretty happy with my life in general so there are no big changes which need making but we have been thinking of a bit of a big move for a couple of years so maybe now is the time to do it. We often come up with a plan and then it takes a few years to come to fruition. So, maybe this plan will come off and maybe it won’t. I will say if you’ve read all of this, life is very short and sometimes it takes something shocking in life to happen to be brave enough to make that change. So, if you’ve been meaning to change something, then if you can, do it. I’m not going to say ‘live every day as your last’ because that is just not sustainable but if you’ve been putting something off then try and do it. Even if it’s a small thing like reading an extra chapter of your book per day or finally booking that holiday, seeing family and friends right up to the big changes. Go for it.

Signing off in a minute you will be pleased to hear. But first… BOOK NEWS!

Book 2 in my fantasy series Festival of Time is on target to go live mid-March and I’ve made a start on reading book 1 & 2 so I can finish book three to ensure consistency and that all the stories lines are tied up. I must admit when I was trying to regulate my breath on the bedroom floor, I did have a wave of a thought which said I needed to finish my fantasy series – how would my fans cope if I didn’t finish it! I will also be doing a free promotion on book one, so keep your eyes peeled on social media. I have my new book being published with Saga Fiction in March, so it’s going to be a busy one. Just hope my trapped nerve buggers off so I can write. Currently typing this with an ice-pack on my back – sigh!

Take care out there everyone. X

((Glad you’re still here Peachy and we both didn’t fade away. We have much to do!))

The trials and tribulations of self publishing…

A question for the self-published folk of the world… do you more or less forget everything about the process each time you’re ready to upload to Amazon? (Or your preferred platform) ((No, Peachy. It’s just you being unorganised. You’re a writer, here’s a thought… why don’t you write it down? Give me strength!)) Good idea, Brackets and I have, but they are scribbled notes on bits of paper as I always seem to be in a rush to publish. I WILL BE MORE ORGANISED. I must say, it’s much easier when I publish a book through my digital publisher, I just send off my final edits and after a while, the book magically appears on their app! Another book birthday to be added to the list! ((Nice link to the Saga Fiction advertising Peachy, I don’t think anyone noticed. There is hope for you yet. I’ve added a link to their app since you couldn’t remember that bit!))

Top tip if you’re thinking of self-publishing on Amazon, it is easier when you read all the guides and information first! Don’t be like me and rush because you’re excited that the bloody book you have been bloody working on is finally bloody ready to be birthed… even though, ordering your proof copy is only the start of getting it out there. See previous blogs for information on the different stages.

Anyhow, anyway, the proof copy finally arrived, and I excitedly opened it to find that the writing was tiny. Give me strength. So, it was back online with an extra strong coffee and down to business. This time I did it properly and wrote everything down as I went along and eventually, I nailed the formatting – I need to add this is only for my first proof copy so the final proof read can be done before sending it to  The Book Typesetters who knock it all into shape and give it that professional touch. ((You remembered to add the link! Well done Peachy, I keep telling you marketing is part of your job as an author as did Rachael from The Book Typesetters!)) Thanks brackets. What would I do without you? ((Well, your blog wouldn’t have 200 followers and nearly 7k views that is for sure!))

Okay, so where was I? New proof copy ordered and dropped off with my fabulous friend to be scanned for final errors. After checking with him earlier in the week ((Nagging she means. Her friends must be sick of her by now!)) he had read half of the book and found one error!!!!!!!!! I tried so hard with this copy, once I’d made the amendments from my editor, I went through it so carefully and I must admit, I’m pretty darn proud of myself since all this grammar and punctuation stuff isn’t my skill set ((Oh, your blog readers are well aware of this fact Peachy!))

Fast forward to Monday when I met my friend to chat about my book and discuss the edits. This is always a scary moment but phew, he loved the book (other than a bit of the storyline which he didn’t like but I cannot change it as it’s part of the story and I’m sorry it’s a bit mean!) There was also not many edits required ((Woohoo, Peachy. You really are learning how to write and edit – who knew you had it in you!)) I had a meeting in the afternoon but went straight home after and actioned the edits so I could send it to The Book Typesetters for them to work their magic. Once received from them, it will be uploaded to Amazon and I will be able to order my final, final proof copy to check it before the all-important ‘make it live’ ((In your head you sounded like Captain Picard saying ‘make it so’ didn’t you?)) No comment.

I am very excited to publish this book and slightly ahead of time as I promised Spring 2022 which is March 20th! Book three for the fans asking… you can follow my progress on social or on my Festival of Time page. I’m 35k in and aiming to complete it in March! There, I said it. Obviously, it will then need to be edited etc but I’m going to give a flexible date of November 2022 ((I love an unrealistic target!)) as I would like it out for Christmas. If I can sell enough copies, I’m going to create a special edition set with new digital covers, but this will be expensive, so might be a future plan. There is also the board game to finish!

Anyway, for now. Take care. If you’re self-publishing and have any questions, please let me know. I will try and help.

Clair ((and me)) x

P.S. You can buy book one in the fantasy series for 99p on Amazon! I know, all those adventures for only 99p! Here is a little link and preview : Festival of Time : Book One : Escape

2021 was a bit discombobulated…

I love the word discombobulated and I don’t think it’s used enough. I feel like it perfectly describes how I felt in 2021 and 2020 come to that! ((Well, finally we are back. What have you been messing about at Peachy? It’s been ages since your last blog post?))

Hey Brackets, I know, I just haven’t been feeling the whole blogging thing and decided if I didn’t have anything to say, I might as well not inflict a pointless blog on anyone. It also been a busy time from my last post, and I had to make some difficult decisions; including closing down the writing studios workshops and pulling back on other commitments. ((Wow! You are actually human then? I’m not going to lie, I was beginning to wonder where you were finding the hours!)) There were many reasons for closing the studios, but mainly it stole too much of my writing time and something had to change. Never say never, and although I’m sad about the decision, I feel like my life is finally where I want it to be now. I am working part-time and writing part-time, with a few other bits and bobs in the mix of course!

I didn’t manage many words during NaNo, which is the first time in the last 3 years I haven’t written a book in November but I knew taking part was a long shot, and since I’ve written 3 novels and 3 novella’s in 2021, as well as LOADS of editing, there is no way I’m going to give myself a hard time and I’m going to celebrate my achievements instead. I love goals and challenges, but I always try to be realistic. Life is too short to give yourself a tough time, life is hard enough!

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone. If you make resolutions, then good luck for 2022! I have made a few based around my health but I also have a few writing goals; to finish off book two in my fantasy series, as publication was delayed after I tested positive for covid mid-December. So the early part of this year will be about finishing the editing and getting it published, followed by finishing writing book three which I’m hoping will be published before Easter. ((Promises, promises Peachy. Just get the series finished already – you will be getting a reputation like GRRM (George RR Martin) for not finishing your books! Your readers will be demanding their money back – all 2 of them! Sorry, couldn’t resist!)) Yeah, yeah, I know Brackets!

Once the fantasy series is finished I really want to rewrite my psychological thriller series. It is time the world is introduced to Tom and Hope. ((I’m not gonna lie. I am terrified of Tom!!!!!)) I also have a few books being published with my digital publisher, Saga Fiction in 2022. They have all been written and are going through the editing process. So, lots to look forward to this year.

Right, short and sweet blog for me. I just wanted to get back on track with my blogging and check in with everyone. I have high hopes for 2022, which is probably dangerous but although 2021 was hard, I still have so much to celebrate, it was a dream come true to find a home for my stories with Saga Fiction, as well as still self-publishing. I’m looking forward to much less stress and more time to write. Hopefully, next month I can share pictures of my writing den which I’m redecorating and moving around.

Take care, keep writing and I look forward to sharing my booky news in 2022 x ((Hopefully I will feature more in 2022 as well. I felt your discombobulation Peachy, and I’m glad you’re getting back to your old self. It means I can be rude again! Let’s face it, at your age you need to get a move on and get your books finished…  Happy New Year peeps.))

Now my life has a better routine (hopefully!) I’m going to post my blog on the first Monday of the month ((Oh joy. I’m sure everyone is adding these important dates to their diary!))

It’s NaNo time! Maybe…

Hey everyone,

How you all doing? Thankfully, life is calming down for me and I don’t run around saying I’m busy all the time! ((I was getting bored of it to be honest. I mean, I didn’t even feature in the last blog. I’m not surprised your website stats have gone down. You know I’m the best thing about you, don’t you? Don’t you…)) I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but it’s nice to have you back, Brackets. ((Please don’t get all gushy, Peachy. You know we don’t do emotions)) Fair point, well made and don’t think I didn’t notice the song lyrics!

Okay, now me and Brackets have re-bonded I wanted to talk about writing! ((About time, this is supposed to be a blog about your journey as a writer. I’ve told you time and time again, people do not want to hear you moaning.))  Monday 1st November was officially the start of NaNo. ((Tell the people about your rubbish word count, Peachy?)) For those not in the know – I literally had no clue what anyone was on about when I first heard this term. It’s also referred to as NaNoWriMo or full name – National Novel Writing Month. The idea is that you write 50,000 words in the month of November. Sounds a lot but break it down and that’s 1,666 words a day and if you work well to deadlines or with a community of people encouraging you, then you can achieve it. Brackets has called me out and no I haven’t managed many words on my NaNo project, mainly because I’ve been editing the project so it’s taking ages! I have 32k to edit before I can get stuck in and write new chapters and really make a dent in my word count!

This will be the third year I’ve taken part in NaNo. In 2019 I wrote my fantasy novel: Festival of Time: Escape, which I then went onto publish in January 2021. I wrote book two of the series in 2020 NaNoWriMo, which I aim to publish this December or early 2022. My book has been sent to my (self publishing) editor – eeekkkk. I’ve already written 31k in book three as I said above and the final book in the series, so my aim for NaNo is to finish this project. Book one had a word count of 66k, book two I think will be about 69k so I will aim for the same for book three.

((I ain’t brilliant at Maths, Peachy but even I know that doesn’t add up to 50k!)) Yes, okay clever clogs. Although the idea of NaNo is to write 50k, the way I look at it is you can use it as a target but if you don’t achieve it, then don’t beat yourself up about it. ((Well, unless you start cleaning the skirting boards as an excuse not to write!)) As well as NaNo in November, I also have the possibility of the edits for another novel i’ve written for my digital publisher, Saga Fiction being returned to me in, as well as releasing another story Decisions, Decisions (published yesterday!) and finishing the edits on book two my self-published fantasy series. So, between all those projects I will probably reach 50k! ((You’ve confused me by waffling again, Peachy! You authors, always have to have the last word and have an excuse at the ready in your writing mittens!))

Right, that’s me. I wish you a wonderful month of writing, whatever project you’re working on. Find me on Twitter if you want some support with NaNo or join me doing some writing sprints. At some point soon I will be on Instagram talking about my latest story with my publisher Saga Fiction… I don’t think I will ever get used to saying, ‘my publisher’!

Over and out x

P.S. Featured image is a throw back to staying Wanaka in New Zealand – a moment of calm and happiness which I finally feel is returning to my life.

Imposter syndrome… a week in my life as an author…

I was asked what a normal week is like for me, so here goes… this was supposed to be posted last month but I was busy writing a book!

Monday

Today started with a walk around the lake, one of the biggest problems I’ve found with my various jobs is that most of them require me to be sitting down, which doesn’t help with the displacement of fat! Walk done, I faff about a bit, cleaning the house etc. before leaving home to head to my writing studio for around 9.30am. We have a creative writing workshop running at the studios today with author, Anne Goodwin. There is always a little prep required before a workshop; printing handouts, making sure the place is tidy, feeding the birds (number one priority). We aim to make it an experience when people visit the studios. Today, I indulge myself by taking part, I mean, what’s the point in having a writing studio if you don’t take advantage occasionally! I have a ‘fictional therapist’ in my psychological thriller (which is yet to be published) so this workshop was very useful for my story and it led to some great discussions with the group.

By the time I clear up, have lunch, take care of a few emails, including emailing my digital publisher (It still sounds weird to say this/write this and every time I have the attack of ‘the imposter syndrome!’ which I think it pretty normal!) as they want to do a Q&A over zoom – which is totally out of my comfort zone but I’m hoping it goes better than when I tried to video myself last week, which was awful and stressful! I’m not very good at that kind of thing! I pour myself a glass of water and write up this post, before tackling my latest novel which has a deadline of the 25th of September… (book now finished and emailed to publisher on 25th Sep!)

I managed to write 1,494 before I headed home from the studios. I made a stop at my local library to collect a book for book group and found my fantasy book on display with other local authors, including Maria Dziedzan and Matt Haig! All very exciting. Then I bumped into a friend from my writing group and we had a lovely natter about all things booky and our writing antics! Then it was home to share a few bits on social media – which actually took about 2 hours as I was networking on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in-between making dinner, tidying the house and all the other usual things. I love chatting with people, but social media is like a black hole and before you know it hours have disappeared. I planned to do some more writing after dinner, but we ended up taking advantage of the weather and taking the motorbike out. It’s the one place I have a clear mind as I have no other distractions other than the scenery and use it to work out any plot holes.

Day one done. A very writerly day!

If you want to watch my author interview… click here (I cannot bring myself to watch myself!)

Tuesday

Today started relaxed, catching up on the motor bike racing we’d missed at the weekend. I managed to sneak in a quick half hour of gardening before I left to head to the studios for my last day there this week. We have some lovely people who rent the workshop out for their art/painting class, so whilst they are creating on canvas, I’m going to create on the page. Well, that’s the plan. I need to do a bit of social media sharing and read the questions my publishers have sent me as I have the ‘dreaded’ zoom meeting this afternoon! I not quite sure why I’m dreading it as I love to chat, and my publishers are so lovely.

Michelle from Titterpot designs stopped by so we could finalise her details on the Secret Garden Studios website… Michelle will be running ceramic and craft workshops which is very exciting. It was then a wander into town to do a few jobs before back to the studios to write before walking home. I managed 1,171 words today which I’m happy with.

The roughly 10-15 minutes author interview turned into an hour and half chat with my publisher. It was a wonderful catch up, much easier than videoing myself. The one thing to remember when you decide to write and put your work out there, is you might be expected to do things you’re not comfortable/used to doing. But I did it and I enjoyed it. We also chatted about deadlines and editing timelines for my future stories.

After this, it was a little bit more writing and then social media went bonkers again as Saga Fiction shared some wonderful posts about my story; A night lost to the past, so I was sharing and doing my bit to promote my book and Saga Fiction where I could. I also made Michelle’s pages live on the Secret Garden Website and then I dropped into a social media blackhole until it was time to make dinner.

No writing for the rest of the day as I was shattered.  

Wednesday

I headed to work for my first day of three working days at my local college where I work as a Reception, Careers and Information officer. It was a busy day as term starts soon so it’s all go. At lunch time I do a little bit of social media catch-up and write a few notes for my next chapters and then it’s back to the desk. When I finish work, I head for a catch-up with some creative friends and then its home to make dinner and to do some updates on the studio website, answering emails and some more social promotion. I got carried away and decided to update my author website which was way overdue! I started work at 8am this morning and after finishing this blog, I switch off my laptop at 10pm and no writing done today – bad writer! The surprising thing about becoming an author is how much time you spend not writing! It felt like quite a stressful day today, it would be nice to just come home and not have anything else to do. But I’ve listened to authors talk about the number of hours and what it takes to ‘make it’ in whatever shape or form that takes so I guess it’s more early mornings and late night for me and i need to ‘woman up’ and get on with it.

Thursday

Work again today. Busy day again, but it’s nice having a job I can walk away at the end of the day, and everything is done, even if I am mentally tired. I managed to jot down a few notes at lunchtime for the blurb for the other stories I’m publishing with Saga Fiction and have a little think about the covers. It’s a nice little task to do at lunchtime when I cannot get stuck into any proper writing, and it’s another job nearly ticked off the list. I wanted to try and get ahead of the game ready for when the edits come in from my other stories. (Since writing this, Saga Fiction have extended my editing deadlines so that’s made things a bit easier. Oh, there is that imposter alert again…)

At home it’s a sneaky little watch of Nine Perfect Strangers, after tea, it’s up to the ‘writing den’ a.k.a office, and time to crack on with writing my novel and this blog. I had a moment when I thought about the books on the shelves in front of me and wondered about the journeys those authors had taken. How many days did they come home from work and write or get up early and some of them probably had families as well as well as the other busy life events! It’s a wonder any books get written! I’m not sure I understood the amount of work, hours and dedication which goes into writing a book until I decided to write one, and getting paid to write one is a whole different ball game. Anyway, back to the story. I have 50k words to write and I’ve just had a massive panic as I looked at the word count for this blog and thought I’d lost 10k of my novel! Panic over!  

2053 words added tonight and I feel pretty good about where it’s going. I would like to hit the 20k barrier by the end of the weekend! We will see. Time for a break and a little bit of mindless tv before bed.  

Friday

Last day in the ‘part-time’ job, another busy day with lots of screen time hence the headache when I got home. My publisher showed my author interview on Instagram and Facebook which we did earlier in the week, but I still cannot bring myself to watch it! I’m told it’s okay…

We settled down for the evening of watching practice for MotoGP, at about 8.30pm I was shattered, so with no words written today as I took myself off to bed for a well needed rest.

Saturday

Today we planned to get some of the garden jobs done before it turns into a rotting jungle. I got up about 6.15am, mainly because I went to bed so early, but also because I wanted to get stuck into my book. I love writing in the morning when the world doesn’t feel like it’s awake. I managed about 2k before the other half stirred and we had breakfast and then we got stuck into the job of cleaning and re-oiling the decking. It’s about 30ft long so it took a while and overdue by about 2 years!

I managed 3k on my ‘mystery’ book by the end of the day, so I was really pleased with the progress. The story is starting to flow well, and I can see where it is going. I tend to get to this stage in a novel and think how the hell am I going to write another 40-50k! but then a new thread comes along, the characters throw me a lifeline and then another, and finally, I reach the end. Well, that’s the hope.

Sunday

No writing done today. It’s off to Silverstone to watch MotoGP, very exciting and a bucket list event. It’s another 6am start to get there in time, but the time is not wasted as I iron out a few plot threads in my head during the drive.

Well, that’s it, as much as a normal week as it gets. Sometimes there is odd Writing Chat hour on Twitter on a Wednesday evening, Writing Group is normally on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month and in between this, as much socialising as I can fit in. Like most people, I have to fight the imposter syndrome on most days. I’m not sure what it takes to not feel like someone is going to tell you you’re a fraud, but I love what I do, even if I do moan about being busy all the time. I don’t think I could give up writing now, my characters would not let me!

Do you have any good top tips to share for being more productive? Does imposter syndrome feature in your daily musings – do you have a way to stop those inner voices? I would love to hear them!
Until next month… happy writing

Flash Fiction Competition: extended deadline!

Flash Fiction Competition: extended deadline! You’ve got until 18 September 2021 to write 300 words on the topic of COLOURS

Flash Fiction Competition: extended deadline!