Natasha Duncan-Drake's Blog, page 15

The Joys of Cover Design Now We Have Sites Like Unsplash

The Joys of Cover Design Now We Have Sites Like Unsplash
Making eBook covers used to be a lot harder than it is these days. Why I hear you ask?

Because there were a lot less resources available.
There have always been places like Getty images and some royalty free images sites, but the images on them cost not insignificant amounts of money, especially when combining several images to create new ones.
These days we have fantastic sites like:

Unsplash.com, Pexels.com and Pixabay.com 
...

The 3rd Eye (2017) - A Film that Does Not Know How to End

The 3rd Eye (2017) - A Film that Does Not Know How to End
So Rob and I watched a film last night, a ghostly horror film to be exact. In the middle Rob uttered the words: "We're going to have to watch something else after this before going to bed so I can sleep."

The film was very scary - I mean Ju-On - The Grudge level scary.

I was watching it through my fingers.

And then ... it totally lost all scariness, ending with a fizzle.

Turns out we didn't need to watc...End

Recipe: New Potato and Blue Cheese Tart with Broccoli Pastry #GlutenFree #Vegetarian

New Potato and Blue Cheese Tart with Broccoli PastyThis is a new recipe I created based on the same premise as the Butternut and Goat's Cheese tart I posted the other week. It uses the same gluten free broccoli pastry, but I think this filling is even better. After all broccoli and blue cheese is a classic combination. 

Tips and Trick to Help the NaNoWriMo Process

Tips and Trick to Help the NaNoWriMo ProcessSo we're on day 4 of NaNoWriMo and we've already had a weekend to contend with. How's it going? Are the words flowing, or is it being a pain? I've won NaNo six times now and some years were so much harder than others!

For some, starting a novel is the hardest part. The idea is there in our heads, but trying to form it into something that makes sense on paper is difficult. And of course there is the really big question, where do we start in the first place....

NaNoWriMo - Who's taking up the challenge this year?

NaNoWriMo Who's taking up the challenge this year?
November has come round again, which can mean only one thing: NaNoWriMo.

Who's doing it this year?
I have a project I want to finish, so I am completely in this year. It's not a novel, but a series of novellas that I want to get done and dusted, which I figure counts too as long as I get to the 50K. In my case I actually want to get to more like 70K, but we shall see - as long as I...center;">Who'sNaNoWriMo

Free Book - Trick or Treat Blog Hop #trickortreatreads

Free Book - Trick or Treat Blog Hop
Greetings and welcome to my blog on the spookiest of spooky days. It is a tradition of Sophie and I that we always produce a free eBook  at Halloween. Usually it is for AllHallowsRead, but they don't seem to have updated their website this year, so just think of this as a trick or treat that is better for your teeth.

Butternut and Goat's Cheese Tart with Broccoli "Pastry" - #GlutenFree #Vegetarian

Butternut and Goat's Cheese Tart with Broccoli "Pastry"#GlutenFree #VegetarianThis is based off a Donna Hay recipe from the Saturday Times which I believe comes from her book Week Light, which I am definitely adding to my Christmas list :).
First thing I have to say is this pastry is amazing and would work with other tarts too and I fully intend to try it with others. I am dying to have a go at using it with a quiche Loraine.
This recipe makes 2 tarts - but it keeps well in the fridge and has nothing in it which means re-heating woul.../>ThisLoraine.
First:).
#VegetarianThiscenter;">#GlutenFree

Midnight Feast by Natasha Duncan-Drake #GhostStory #LuckOfTheDraw

Midnight FeastNatasha Duncan-Drake Luck of the Draw #1
A/N: This is the first in my new Luck of the Draw series. It's called that because it is inspired by a set of storytelling dice a friend gave me for Christmas a little while back. Six dice, six different elements to include in a story. Great for moments of writer's block to get the creative juices flowing. Since it's October, a ghost story came to mind for this one. Enjoy!
If you're a writer and need a little nudge to get the creative juices...

What are your favourite genres? Enquiring minds ... #WriterlyWednesday

What are your favourite genres? Enquiring minds want to know.So I was thinking, as you do, and it started me wondering about genres. I am a very picky reader, and even within my favourite genres I sometimes find it hard to find books I really love, but there are definitely those I gravitate towards. Although it's really hard to pick my favourite genre.

So, of course, I decided to ask you all the really hard question :D. 

Happy Beginning of the Halloween Season - Free Fiction Friday!

Happy Beginning of the Halloween Season - Free Fiction Friday!