Amanda Prowse's Blog, page 4

Bermudababble Week Twenty Six

I seem to have spent the entire week screaming, laughing or both!

We’ve had all the weather in the world this week in Bermuda – and on one unfortunate morning, my brolly was whipped inside out and carried me out into the road! It didn’t occur to me to let go! I was shivering at the bus stop when the American and Italian rugby teams who are here for the Rugby World Classic and have been staying near us, sped by on mopeds, with faces gurning in the oncoming wind and rain. They were all so massive; it looked like they were riding those teeny tiny motorbikes that were all the rage a few years ago! Their expressions told me that this was not the warm, tropical paradise that they had been expecting. That made me chuckle.

To brighten my spirits, I accepted the offer of a fruit pastille and didn’t realize it had a tiny piece of foil until on it, until it went right up into one of my metal fillings! That was a scream right there.

The sun soon came out again.

It’s been a very social week for the Major and I, catching up with friends and enjoying the best Bermudian and Jamaican cuisine – fish and laughter aplenty!

I can’t WAIT until the release of A Christmas Wish, on Dec 1st – I think you’ll love it and I LOVE the cover which I saw for the first time this week – here’s a peek – http://amzn.to/175lksn – I’ve had one critic review who wrote ‘It’s the catch up with Poppy Day we have been waiting for! Prowse at her very best!’ – this made me very happy indeed!

My youngest boy has been in London with his friends this week and I haven’t slept – worrying about him, tell me it gets easier people. He told me he went to Hamleys and I cried as I pictured taking him there aged 5 where he was rather nervous of Santa Claus and bought some car Lego with his pocket money. That feels like a blink ago, now he’s driving a real car…

This biggest scream of the week came yesterday when I put my hand in a drawer and it came out with four cockroaches clinging to my fingers. Every time I think about it my back goes into a little spasm! Yuk! My friend and I tipped the drawer out on the grass and ONE cockroach scuttled away which means there are THREE unaccounted for! I can’t even think about it! There – my back’s twitching again!

Christmas fast approaching – not that it feels very festive here, not for me. I associate the Christmas holiday with family, rubbish telly and eating trifle on Boxing Day! It’s the one time of the year that everything feels highlighted, the good and the bad. When you are in love Christmas is magical and when you are lonely it can feel like the darkest time on earth. The reason I mention it now with over a month to go, is because there is still time to reach out to anyone that might need the hand of friendship this year. The bereaved, the elderly and those that have struggled in the difficult climate this year, it’s amazing what a difference an invite for a cuppa and a good old natter can make…

Okay – BREAKING NEWS – I am going to hold a Q&A session via Facebook (Amanda Prowse Author) where I will be online for an hour to answer anything at all! Advice on getting published etc. Date to be confirmed, but if you are interested – please go to my website www.amandaprowse.org and make sure you have registered your email on the site and we can send you details of when and where! Should be fun!

This morning I am dragging the Major to a huge thrift shop called The Barn on the island, where I hope to add to my collection of mismatched vintage cups and saucers that I pack away and imagine one day, putting them on a dresser in a house that exists only in my imagination!

I love holding these little china things that have brought someone else pleasure and making them mine! It’s similar to my obsession with buying old black and white photos of dead people that I never knew. I can’t bear the idea of these family photos being unloved, so if I find any, I buy them up and put them in my house! I get some strange looks when visitors say, ‘oh, who is that?’ and point to framed photo and I shake my head and say, ‘I have no idea!’

As I write, the Major is trying to open a macadamia nut that one of the gardeners at the Botanical Gardens in Paget gave me; he’s been at it with a little saw for a good ten minutes. Might be easier to just go and buy him a packet of KP…

Sending love and friendship from this little island, to wherever you rest your head.

Mandy xx

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Twenty-Five

I decided to get hiking this week, inspired by the idea of hitting the beach in Sydney and having to do a bit of telly, which adds the pounds! I waved the Major off to work on his funky moped and walked over the hill, heading towards the other side of the island and the heavens opened!

It was one of those tropical rainstorms that leave you looking like you have had buckets of water thrown over you. I was soaked through; my hair was stuck to my face and my eyelashes meshed with raindrops. I ploughed on regardless, up Spice Hill Road and through the snicket towards Riddell’s Bay – when the sun decided to make a guest appearance from behind the grey cloud.  In an instance it was hot and after a few moments, I realized I was steaming! A light twist of smoke rose from my clothing.  A big THANK YOU! To all the taxi drivers, students on the bus and the two soldiers that felt the need to heckle me as they drove past.

I met my good friend Mr Simmons who is quite possible the most beautiful man I have ever seen, (yeah yeah, the Major knows!) He has the bluest eyes imaginable, a foot wide smile and cheekbones you could cut slate on! He was as usual on one of his jaunts around the island. We sat on a wall and chatted for over an hour, he told me about his travels around the world and then showed me pictures of his kids and grandchildren and great grandchildren and great great… oh you get the idea. In his late 90’s, he showed me his bus pass, which rather than saying Senior Citizen or OAP, simply has the words Special Person written across the top, I really like that.

I didn’t realize it was Bonfire Night until I saw a tweet mentioning it. I felt a real pang of homesickness and spent the afternoon picturing Nov 5th’s of my childhood, which were awesome! My dad letting off inappropriately large fireworks in our back garden, my mum serving hot jacket spuds that dripped melted butter down your chin and my brothers and I in identical hand knitted jumpers, wellies and jeans, screaming from behind the exclusion zone! If I close my eyes I can smell the air even now.

PICK UP YOUR STUFF MAJOR PROWSE!

Apologies to all who heard me swearing over the sea, I broke my toe! Being sweet and not wanting to wake my husband, I decided to navigate our bedroom in the dark after my 3am loo visit – you know how it is! As I walked back into the room, I kicked the bedframe and so instead of waking the Major with a slight flicker of lamplight, I woke him by screaming expletives like a banshee and burying my head under the pillow as I screamed and cried. My poor toe looks like a little burnt sausage and it really hurts! It didn’t help that the next day I then kicked a rucksack that had been left on the floor, not naming any names, but PICK UP YOUR STUFF MAJOR PROWSE!

I went into Hamilton to collect for the RBL poppy appeal, armed with my shaking tin and paired with my friend, we took up our spot and did great! Last year I was in central London travelling around on the RBL bus, stopping at all major stations with my collecting bucket, this year I was on Front Street with palm trees swaying in the sunshine, rattling my tin! It still felt good to know I was helping a little bit with the awesome international work of the RBL who are there for all those who have served and their families. Poppy Day novel as ever is available as an eBook or in print http://amzn.to/1gjJCEn and 100% of my royalties forever and ever will go to the RBL – why? ‘cos I’m an army wife and it’s my way of saying a big thank you to my husband and all those like him who serve to keep me and my family safe.

Can I just say a big thank you to all who have purchased and read Poppy Day – your support means the world to me.

Weather picked up midweek and Thursday and Friday were positively hot. I keep expecting the good weather to come to an end, like it does in the UK when the summer ends and you pack up the BBQ and deflate the paddling pool for another year, but here its only ever a blip and there is more sun around the corner. It’s lovely, but I hanker for cold fields, misty mornings, thick socks and frosty nights in front of a fire…

Squishing the odd cockroach is one thing, but ant genocide? Not for me.

At least a cold snap might rid us of the ants that are in everything! I remember when the term ‘ants in your pants’ was a saying and not a fact.  Trouble is they look so darn busy and clever as they march in neat little rows to and from the window sill with infinitesimal crumbs, that I can’t bear to put down the killer ant traps I bought, guaranteed to kill the queen and the whole colony in 24 hours! I just can’t do it! Squishing the odd cockroach is one thing, but ant genocide? Not for me. I’m considering naming the first five hundred and making them my pets, which would somehow make them seem less invasive and more like visitors.

I was cornered by a four year old this week who asked me if Father Christmas visited my sons in England, I told her that he did. She considered this before asking, ‘How does he visit your sons in England and me in Bermuda on the same night?’ I didn’t know how to answer so used the old, ‘shall we go and find a sweetie?’ diversion. Didn’t know what to say, so, answers on a postcard please…

Remembrance Day – I’m thinking about my grandad Joe – as I do most days but more so today. He was a member of the RAF Regiment in WWII and this for a Jewish East End boy who hadn’t seen further than the docks, was his greatest adventure. He is the reason I started to think about Nov 11th as a child and he was the one who taught me the importance of respecting those who have fought to keep me safe. He loved my husband very much, proud that I married a soldier. Urgh, crying now, so will sign off.

We Will Remember Them.

Mandy x

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Twenty-Four

This time last week I was preparing for my brother’s wedding, the whole family was running around like loonies, it was hilarious! A bit like Gremlins and that infamous kitchen scene, thankfully without a blender! We took over a fab pub in Peckham where we all stayed and there were children, babies and friends of both bride and groom, drinking wine and chatting as the aforementioned babies were passed around until your arms ached – Bliss!

The beautiful bride and her groom beamed all day and everyone chatted, laughed and danced until the wee small hours! The wedding was a fabulous vintage affair. Starting at Dulwich College for the ceremony, where we wept as the phenomenally talented Rachel Tucker (Wicked etc.) sang until we cried, not that anyone needed much encouragement – having watched my brother and his new wife blub through their vows and me through my reading! It was highly charged and very emotional. We then rode around London in an old red bus and ended up at a glorious cobble stoned venue where there was bunting aplenty and a variety of performers playing ‘It Must Be Love’ as we arrived.

Hope you are all now on the good side of the weather, I find thunder and heavy rain quite frightening and my heart goes out to anyone that has experienced damage in the wake of the St. Jude storm.

I am now back in Bermuda!!! I find it strange how one day I am in central London and the next chatting in my supermarket in this tropical paradise as if I’ve never left. It’s lovely to see the Major who I have missed very much, but now my heart aches for my boys, am I constantly to be pulled in two like this? It’s quite exhausting.

My flight over was interesting, I was sitting with the crew of a drilling boat all mostly men from Cornwall who were coming over to join a boat just off the coast here. It was moving to hear them talking about the wives and girlfriends they had left behind. I told them what it was like as an army wife, having to wave goodbye with alarming regularity and the gut wrenching loneliness that ensued. I realized it was the same for the women and partners of these guys too and my heart goes out as ever, to anyone whose loved one is away working. Funnily enough a few of them had wives and girlfriends who had read Poppy Day and that made me smile, I love how books and literature link people from all walks of life all over the planet!

Halloween in Bermuda feels very different – it is certainly less spooky when it’s warm and sultry instead of damp and grey! My friend told me that everyone dresses up, so I hauled my butt to the Dollar Depot where I picked up a Pirate costume and a Witch outfit for a couple of quid! My boys Skyped me before they went to bed and were totally nonplussed to see me in my witches hat and spooky make-up and chatted as though I dressed like that every day, asking about my flight and telling me about their day. In fact it wasn’t until I mentioned that I was dressed like a witch that they peered at the screen and gave a small shrug in a kind of whatever way! I think they are used to my little oddities. Let’s face it, when you’ve got a mum who spends half her time with her head in a made up story – anything goes!

Despite the fact that it is apparently only the kids who dress up (who knew?!) we had a riot, driving around on our moped, distributing sweets to all the trick or treaters and ending up in our favourite diner for French fries and coffee – a pretty good evening and one I shan’t forget!

Details are coming through for my trip to Australia and New Zealand in a few weeks, it’s going to be a busy time but I can’t wait! Looking forward to meeting all my publishers out there, visiting various bookshops and doing a bit of PR, actually a lot of PR! It will be strange having Christmas in a hot climate, last year we were in New York for Christmas and it was snowing, that was pretty perfect.

I am so looking forward to the release of A Little Love – http://amzn.to/1a6I3XG I really like this book and I think you will too. Pru is an awesome character that I think will capture your hearts she certainly did mine.

Right off to get a bus to the Naval Dockyard, armed with my camera – need to get lots of shots to help with a book I’m writing and then I’ll catch a boat over to Hamilton to meet the Major from work and we will once again take to our trusted moped and go in search of French fries and coffee… won’t be as much fun not dressed as a witch, in fact sod it. I’m reaching for pointy hat and false black nails as I type, why not, eh?

Embrace your inner child!

Mandy xx

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Amandababble Week Twenty Three

Please forgive me the brevity of this blog – I am secretly tapping into my laptop in the loo at my brothers wedding rehearsal dinner!

Phew! I’ve been all over the place this week, in Bermuda it’s quite possible to be seen at either end of the island within an hour or so, but I’ve been doing that in the UK!

I have given interviews on BBC Essex and BBC Bristol, which were great fun as usual. But there have been a few highlights to my week; firstly I trundled to my agent’s house in central London for what I thought was one of our standard catch up/good old gossips over a nice strong cup of rosie lee. I dressed accordingly in my favourite jeans/shirt combo, decided against make up and brushing my hair, only to be greeted by a lovely lady bearing champagne and was whisked into a surprise celebration of a whole year since the re-vamped Poppy Day came out! I couldn’t believe it! I was as you can imagine completely overwhelmed and very quickly cried off any remaining mascara. The evening was only made more special as my boys were with me and to see them at a grown up do, chatting like proper humans and not my little boys was really emotional.

I then had lunch sat opposite Ewan McGregor, what a lovely chap! The amount of people who have said – Ooh you lucky thing, he’s GORGEOUS! To which I reply, have you SEEN my husband!!!! I miss him beyond words, the Major that is, not Ewan!

I was honoured to speak at the Barking and Dagenham reading festival – a fantastic event encouraging the love of words and books – I was truly chuffed to be a part of it. The highlight for me was seeing the face of my friend Rhiannon in the crowd, it calmed my nerves and made me feel at home. I will never be able to fully express what the support of her and Ally and others means to me, never.

It’s wonderful to see the Poppy tins out in full force, as you know the Royal British Legion is the charity very close to my heart. 100% of my royalties from Poppy Day novel will always go to the RBL forever and ever, why? Because I might be an author, blogger, a mum and a sister, a daughter and a friend, but I’m also an army wife! Here’s the link http://amzn.to/1a9bqsm – please share it and I hope that this year like every other it helps to make a difference.

My new short story The Game came out this week and has already received some fab reviews for which I thank you so very much! http://amzn.to/19zrbpS

And now, permit me if you will a bit of indulgence – I don’t usually talk in too much detail about my family, but tomorrow my little brother Paul is getting married. My other brother’s are joint best men, my sons are ushers, my niece bridesmaid and my 18-month-old nephew is the official show stealer!!!

I’ve dusted off some heels I nicked from my best friends wardrobe and have a clutch of Primark diamonds to sparkle the day away! I can’t wait.

Paul is a very talented musician and photographer, but more importantly he is the kindest most loyal person I know. I love him very much and he is marrying the love of his life, the talented actress Stevie Tate-Bauer and if you look at a copy of Clovers Child, you will see that this book is dedicated to both of them who have at last found a dream that they can call their own…

I wish them every ounce of love and luck in the world – may happiness be theirs for eternity.

Mandy xx

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Twenty Two

This week I have felt like the world is quite small! At 7pm on Wednesday – I was wearing my flip flops, sitting on the terrace of a café in Bermuda in 84 degrees, waiting for the Major and by 7am the next morning – I was in my walking boots on a train station platform in London trying to avoid the drunk man who almost slept on my shoulder and with a large dollop of pigeon poo on the bench next to me.

It’s been a fab week, funny and busy. We went out for a very fancy pants meal on Sunday night – a rarity for us, as we are more kind of ‘grab a sandwich and go’ type of people, but this was a dress up and put on some lippy affair! (That was me, not my husband; he just stuck to mascara and blusher…) We had a really great time; laughing and chatting with the pink sky and rolling waves as our backdrop, cue soft music and misty eyes…

Now, as you know, I am not a drinker, in fact if I have a drink more than twice a year it means we have new additions to the family or one of us has got wed. Anyhoo, I think I might have got carried away with the whole event and ordered a strawberry daiquiri – as you do.  I thought it made me sound sophisticated.

It arrived in a tall glass, garnished with a cherry and with a long straw, it looked harmless and reminded me of the milkshakes we used to get in the Wimpy when I was a kid – yum! I sipped it and it was delish! Not at all boozy or strong, just what a lightweight like me fancied on this special evening. Or so I thought.  Let me tell you, that strawberry daquiri was the drink equivalent of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, it was that little tiny chilli pepper that looks so cute, but one bite and your tongue peels, it was the tiny thorn that is hard to find but once its in your tootsie – ay ay ay!  – you get the idea.

The lovely man behind the bar had generously sloshed a few measures of rum and something else into the glass and disguised the boozy taste with strawberry slush and syrup. Oh. My. Word. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and as I drained my glass, I felt the strangest sensation that my tongue no longer fitted in my mouth, my vision was blurry and everything my husband said was quite possibly the funniest thing I had EVER heard. I was sloshed.

I shan’t give you the sordid details, but suffice to say that as we left the very posh, cordon bleu, fine dining, mega swanky terrace littered with beautiful people picking at salad, I thought it would be a good idea to try and steal the patio umbrella and have it away – on our moped.

I would have got away with it too if it wasn’t for the lump of concrete it was attached to and the security guards who carried me to the hog…

Moving swiftly on. We were invited to have drinks with the Governor and his wife at Government House on Monday night. I was very anxious about what to wear, but managed to tart up some white jeans with a swirly white tunic and my Primark bling. I was a bit nervous and in response to the first thing our lovely host said to me, ‘would you like a drink, Amanda?’ I responded with, ‘Oh God no, I got larruped last night and tried to nick some garden furniture before being escorted from the premises…’

I vaguely remember the Major burying his hands in his face and shaking his head as his dreams of promotion are dashed, again. I can only repeat, I AM SORRY!

The beginning of the week was spent catching up with chores in Bermuda so I could leave for ten days and now I’m back here catching up on chores that have been neglected in my absence. I see a theme!

I had the joy of sitting on my flight to the UK with lots of the golfers from the PGA tournament that had been playing in Bermuda, embarrassingly I didn’t know who any of them were – the only golfer I would recognize is Nick Faldo because he used to advertise Bic razors and I stared at one of the posters for a month or so outside my office window!

I think one of the men had won it – yay! I enthused, was it difficult? Been playing long? Ever had a strawberry daquiri? I know I know, naff questions, but it literally is a sport that I know nothing about other than you do it on grass and use sticks, clubs! I mean clubs.

I was so very excited to get back and see my boys and I think they were pleased to see me. Within minutes of opening the front door I was cooking, washing and making cups of tea that were ferried up and down the stairs… I suddenly worked out why I have written so much in Bermuda, it’s not only that I am inspired by the place, it’s because I’m not running around after the boys – gaining hours of writing time, every day!

Minutes ago, I casually asked son number two what his plans were for this evening, he turned off the TV and said, ‘I thought we could spend some time together, shall we go to the cinema?’ I could only nod the answer at my beer-swilling rugby monster as the lump in my throat prevented speech…

I have a new short story coming out on Oct 24th – ‘The Game’ and I really hope you like it. Here’s the link for anyone that fancies a gander http://amzn.to/1aQCyZv on the same day I shall be speaking at the Barking and Dagenham reading festival in the evening so pop along if you are in the vicinity! Oh and I’m popping up on Essex FM on Tuesday!

Right – time to Skype the Major – I think – I have no idea what the time is anywhere on the planet or even what day it is! I just know that tomorrow I shall be reunited with my best friend, anyone in the West country might want to pop ear plugs in at around midday, there’s gonna be a lot of squealing…

Being nice is infectious, did you know that?

Mandy x

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Twenty One

Ok girls – so if you are anything like me, you have one nice set of underwear, for special occasions, one that you wouldn’t mind being seen in A&E and a whole lot of others that really should be binned, greying, holey and mismatched! …and if you are not like me then – Ooooh get you Mrs Fancy Pants!

Well, last Sunday night after a perfect weekend of mooching, beaching and chatting to the man I love, we trotted down to the little deserted Jobsons Cove, which is a mere two minutes from our front door, to have a little stroll. Call it the warm air, pink sky or Bermuda madness, but I turned to the Major and said, ‘Let’s swim!’

Nighttime was nipping at the heels of day and I felt more confident in this half light than I usually do. I shoved my trousers and shirt on the sand and waded in to the sea, wearing my Fred&Florence pants that are WELL past their sell by date and a saggy old bra that barely covers my modesty! The Major followed suit, although clever clogs had his trunks on!

I swear to God, my shoulders had barely gone under the water, when I heard a chattering from the winding path that leads down to the cove. I looked at Mr Clever Clogs, aghast,

‘There’s someone coming! And I’ve got my grotty pants on with a big hole in the back!’

He tutted, ‘It’ll be fine, they can’t see anything and they won’t be stopping.’

How wrong he was.

Within seconds, a very large family had set up chairs, flaming torches, a picnic… you get the idea and with granny sat in a chair in the middle of proceedings, they all stood, staring at me in the water.

‘We’re having a picnic!’ They waved.

‘I’m having a nervous breakdown!’ I whispered back.

I hissed at The Major to go and grab my shirt, which he did and then stood on the shore line, chatting to the family, holding my shirt at least five metres out of reach. I had no choice. I took a deep breath, sucked in my tummy and strode out of the water. You know that scene in James Bond when Ursula Andress comes up the beach in her bikini? Well this was just like that; if the part had been played by Bella Emberg and she had been wearing her Tesco knickers.

I then tried to roll my shirt down my wet torso and it got stuck in a lump under my armpit, so I had one arm sticking up in the air, the other trapped and my huge, grey pants on display… I shan’t be suggesting any late night dips again. I’m cringing at the memory!

I had the best day on Thursday – I spent the day with the inspirational Mrs Joan Blades, who is now retired, but has spent a large part of her life working in education and education policy – she is a very clever lady and I found her ideas on how education should be shaped to make children feel ‘valued’ and to give them the idea that they can effect change with a little bit of a guidance, good role models and a whole heap of self worth was so refreshing, for her, it isn’t only about grades. It was the nicest day I’ve spent in a very long time.

Bermuda is busy! We’ve got the Bermuda Gold Cup in Hamilton, lots of big boats and crews wondering around in matching little jerseys and tan gaps where their special sunglasses have been and the PGA golf tour coming in – for a sporty girl like me its been great! (?) Me; ‘I saw a man today on a moped with his golf sticks!’ my friend; ‘They are called clubs, Mandy!’ – whatever.

We have the St. Anne’s Church bazaar today – one lady asked me if I thought I might be able to sell books – I considered it and said, ‘I could give it a try…’

I’m flying back to the UK this week for a few meetings and to annoy my boys by giving them unwanted attention and demanding they talk to me – can’t wait!

I shall of course also be speaking at http://bit.ly/17yeg3o click on October 24th for more details and I would love to see you if you are in the area – pop in and hear me Babble in real life! xxx

The Major came home yesterday with the news that the Governor Mr George Fergusson and his wife for drinks have invited us on Monday – I’m bricking it. What do I wear? I only bought beach tat and a couple of slinky tops! Oh well, they shall just have to take me as they find me and thinking about it, as long as I keep my Tesco pants under wraps, nothing could be as bad as my impromptu swimming experience – jheesh!

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Twenty

It seems to either be sweltering hot or raining very heavily – neither of which are conducive to a good hair day – good job no one cares. I spoke to my mum during one particularly hot, humid evening and she told me that where she was in the UK, it was positively autumnal. I felt quite emotional and longed for one minute of that sweet, cold, starry night sky kissing my skin as I walked on pavements and breathed steam into my upturned collar. I guess the grass is always a little bit greener… especially with so much rain!

Hardly seen the other half this week, he is working very hard and it made me laugh as I shooed the chicken from the hallway (oh yes, Tulisa is a regular visitor) how quickly we have fallen into the patterns that are familiar to us. Before we arrived we planned to visit the beach every day and swim nightly. Instead, just like anywhere, I wait for him to come home from work, we eat and chat, I write; we chat some more, have a cuppa and fall asleep. It’s just the same, doesn’t matter that its eighty-five degrees and it is palm trees that sway outside our window not rose bushes!

I have been writing like a demon, busy crafting my new novel, which is set in Bermuda (don’t know where the idea for that came from!) and is this an incredible story of two women, Cee-Cee and Clara, it’s a saga spanning a century. I am loving it, really excited, but of course its still in construction and so will be a little while before it reaches the shelves! Unlike ‘A Little Love’ which is coming out in eBook at Christmas and in paper February – I read it again the other day and I’m so pleased with it, I think you will love it. More info on it here www.amandaprowse.org 

I have had the most incredible year; the all-singing, re-vamped version of Poppy Day came out last year on October 25th, when I think of everything that has happened in the last 12 months, it’s just astonishing. It has made me think of all the people that encouraged me from day one, like my good friend Trixie who read my first drafts and said to me “I think you can write!” it was like music to me and gave me the confidence to continue and send my work out there. How do you repay someone for giving you that boost when you needed it most, not sure, but I know I will always be eternally grateful. I think if you have the belief that you CAN do something, your journey is half way complete.

For some reason this week, my granddad has been on my mind a lot, I want to ring him and tell him my news, anyone got the number for heaven? I’ve been reduced to tears more than once, pure frustration as I have so much to tell him! I talk to him anyway, as The Major will confirm, just because I don’t get a response would never stop me from nattering away, but I would dearly love just one more chat… I guess everyone feels that way.

I’m a nervous wreck this weekend, my brother Paul is having his stag weekend in Devon (he marries the love of his life Miss Stevie Tate-Bauer in a few weeks – I ADORE her, he did real good!) the point is, my babies Ben and Josh have gone and despite everyone’s assurances, the idea of my two being lead astray by my three brothers, cousins, friends etc. fills me with dread! As my mum pointed out, ‘it’ll be okay, they are with the boys!’ by ‘the boys’ she means my brothers and the trouble is I KNOW what they got up to when we were younger whereas she can only guess and my sons are at the exact same age as they were when they started getting up to it!

If anyone sees a large crowd, probably in wetsuits looking hung-over whilst surfing in the Croyde area, tell my boys to be careful and I miss them!

…and just want to end on this pearl. An American lady approached me on the beach and asked me if I’d always been big? I said, no, I was born real small.

Undeterred, she proceeded to tell me about a herbal remedy for weight loss, I told her if I was that bothered, I’d stop eating crisps and gargling with lard. The fact is I’ve lost over a stone and am working really hard at it, but I’ll be b*ggered if I’ll let on! Let’s just hope she doesn’t read my blog… x

Go dance!

Mandy x

Ps – while writing this, three ants have fallen out of my hair. I know right, euuuwwww!

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Nineteen

Still no laptop – so tip tapping on the Major’s while he strums his fingers and makes out he’s not impatient…

How are we? I’ve had a good week. We visited Gibbs Hill lighthouse earlier in the week – which has been functioning since 1846 and gives the most incredible view of the island, so there you go. I tried to take arty farty photos – the result was more farty than arty.

We decided to visit The Museum of Bermuda, at the Naval Dockyard, visiting the very grand Governors House. Oh My God. It has had a profound effect on me. I spent a long time reading the story of slavery on the island and it felt odd to read the links between Bermuda, St.Lucia, Bristol, London all places dear to me. The personal accounts written by slaves and observers will stay with me a lifetime and I spent the rest of the day pondering yet another example of mans ability to inflict such barbaric cruelty on his fellow man. Slavery is a stain that sits on the flag of many so many nations; our own included. I made no apology for standing with tears pouring down my face.

We had planned to visit the museum and then enjoy lunch in the sunshine, but we were not in the mood. Instead, we quietly took the bus home and sat in the shade talking about what we had seen and cried a little more.

I then read about the terrorist massacre in Kenya and felt the same level of stomach churning horror, there are no words…

Bermuda is shaped a bit like a fish hook and at either end, lots of islands are joined by bridges and causeways – this week, despite howling gales, torrential rain and scorching sun – I have packed my bus pass and continued with my exploration.

On Tuesday the police had set up a patrol on one of the bridges and stood holding a speed camera at the start of the bridge. There was pretty soon a tailback of mopeds, cars and buses as everyone stopped to high five and chat to the policeman they had known their whole lives, all swapping news and gossip on the family, health and whether he was going to their BBQ on Sunday. I don’t think anyone passed his speed gun at more than 3 mph!

As soon as we passed, the driver turned to his passengers and said, ‘I’m gonna go real slow over the bridge, who knows what’s been washed away underneath by all that rain!’ I held my breath and closed my eyes – no, I don’t know why either! until we had trundled over safely. I’m sure I saw him laughing in the mirror.

I LOVE travelling by bus anywhere in the world, I think it’s one of the best ways to really see the countryside and meet people. This week has been no exception, when I met the lovely Belinda, who showed me photos of her kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren and then asked me how I make shepherd’s pie – The Major turned around and could hear me saying, ‘then I take a tin of tomatoes and some chopped herbs…’ he just shook his head and smiled.

I am back in the UK for a week or so to speak at the Barking and Dagenham reading festival http://bit.ly/1bigj3L October 24th – and i cant wait! I shall be talking about my journey from Barking to Bermuda via Bristol and back again – all my books and why I write – it should be great fun! My dad worked on the production line at Fords Dagenham and my nan and grandad announced a couple of decades before they died, that they were leaving East Ham and moving to the countryside – off they went to the Dagenham/Rainham border, where they could indeed see a field! Bless.

I have had lots of people asking about my next releases and i wish i could write faster and speed up the process for all those waiting! (You didn’t hear it from me, but there might be another novella (bit like Something Quite Beautiful length) coming out in a couple of weeks – SShhhhh…)

The best way to keep up to date with new releases, competitions and other bits and bobs is to go to my website http://www.amandaprowse.org/ register your details and you will always be in the know!

We had a couple of days of very heavy rain, I went outside and after a minute i looked like someone had thrown buckets of water over me -drenched! The electricity went out, so i sat in the dark heat, listening to the rain, it was awesome! Although you know how you listen to rain and you hear a song in the beat? I kept getting Oops Upside your Head – and so spent most of the day on the tiles patting the floor, bit annoying.

Talking of bit annoying, The Major is now throwing a cashew nut up the wall and catching it, bit like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, think it’s my cue to wrap it up.

I send you love and luck as always.

Scatter Kindness.

Mandy xx

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Eighteen

Well, this week has lasted a month.

It had a very promising start – I’ve been exploring and have discovered Horseshoe Bay – where the sand is like flour and the crystal-clear warm water gently shelves… Alright enough of that – who am I Judith Chalmers? In fact for those who have read What Have I Done? It really reminded me of the beach that Simon takes Kate to, where they swim and he calls her a little fish! I sat on the sand and waited to see if they turned up, I had decided not to talk to them, but just to watch them in the sea! And then I remembered they only existed inside my head and left a bit sharpish, didn’t want people to think I’m a nutter!

I caught the bus out to the naval dockyard on the tip of the island and had a good old wander, it’s beautiful and I was in awe of a HUGE cruise ship that had docked there for an hour or so, it was like a floating city!  I remembered that the webcam that my family look at in the UK is based there, so I stood on the dock and waved my pink scarf over my head – a bit like Mr Motivator back in the day – jumping and waving, much to the amusement of the 5,000 cruise ship evacuees who actually laughed at me, until I explained that my mum and dad look at the webcam. I then stopped dancing and realised that I am four hours behind the UK and my mum and dad wouldn’t be able to see me ‘LIVE!’ as they were at work. I explained this and they laughed even harder.

The Major and I have discovered a new game, it’s called Human Jukebox and basically involves shouting random bands at each other and you have to sing a song of theirs! It was very funny – he was stumped by Toto – der! And I must admit to having a mental blank on the Clash! We did however, sing loud and proud for over an hour to a whole range of artistes from the Bee Gees to Japan and just about everything in between!

I bought a new Apple notebook thing a few months back and I was absolutely over the moon – I’d never had a new computer and was very proud of it. I treasured it, taking it everywhere in its natty little case, cleaning it and not overloading it etc. I have written my new novel on it and it’s been an absolute joy, particularly as the F and T keys on my old laptop were missing, which proved tricky at times! I closed it down as I have a million times before and in the morning it was giving me an odd error message saying I needed to re-install the operating software, inconvenient, but not disastrous. The Major dropped it off at the Apple shop and received a call mid morning to say the hard drive had failed and NOTHING on it was recoverable.

I actually sat on the floor and sobbed. And in response to the hundreds of people who have asked me ‘Had you backed it up?’ – Yes! Of course I had, everything on it is neatly stored and alphabetised in a very safe place – that’s why I was sobbing! I’m joking of course, no I hadn’t. Idiot me, but it hasn’t made my loss any easier to bear. I say loss and I know that sounds extreme, but that is how I feel. It’s not the ideas and synopsis for new books that I had written on there and have now forgotten, nor the copious character studies that I spent hours penning for use in the future, none of that matters, I have a million stories and characters in my head. I’m not even fussed about the 20,000 words of my next novel gone forever… I’ll just start over. No, here’s the thing. I took 2 photographs of my Nan and I shortly before she died on my phone and loaded them onto my computer, figuring it was the safest place for them and I deleted them from my phone. They have gone forever and I am bereft. 

A few days have passed and I have stopped crying, it’s only stuff, right? So what that I have no laptop for the next 3 weeks? I’ve learned two valuable lessons. 1 – back up your stuff! And 2 – I don’t need photo’s to remind me of my Nan, I carry her voice inside my head and her picture in my mind, always.

Right off to the naval dockyard again – I got me an appointment with a webcam!

“I left the rains down in Africa…”idiot.

Mandy x

 

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084

Bermudababble Week Seventeen

Ok – so The Major was badgering me to go into the sea. The beach was peaceful and un-crowded with just a few couples dotting the gently sloping, pink sand, reading or catching the rays. They all looked very chic, the kind of couples who had matching beach towels and had packed melon in ice. Unlike me, who had stuffed all my beach ware in a Tesco bag for life and had an empty Fanta bottle full of water that had gone a bit warm.

‘It’s fine,’ he coaxed, ‘No one is looking at you and there are no creepy crawlies, just come in for a dip!’

“I think I was actually meant to be born in the 1800’s! “

Well as any of you who are less than body confident will know, to walk across the sand in my cossie, swim and walk back again takes a lot.  I spend the best part of my life pulling a t-shirt over my bum and doing up my top button to make sure I am covered – I can hear the tuts from here and trust me, its nothing its do with how I look or my size, it’s how it makes me feel and I have always been this way. I think I was actually meant to be born in the 1800’s!

So, I decided to go for it, it took a few days of mental preparation but I was ready to take the plunge! I put on my bikini and walked down to the shore.

‘That’s it! Nearly there!’ He encouraged from the warm water.

I swear to God it was like a movie set and as my foot touched the water someone shouted ‘Action!’ a HUGE wave knocked me off my feet. I landed face down and swallowed a bucketful of sea!  I tried to stand up, when a second wave knocked me sideways. I screamed, I swore, I swallowed half the ocean. There was a lump of seaweed in my hair bigger than the Sargasso mat and my bikini bottoms were FULL of sand. I looked like a toddler at the end of the day at nursery with a lazy assistant. The Major tried to help, but its difficult to fully assist when you are doubled over in the sea p*ssing yourself with laughter. Cheers for that.

I shan’t ever forget the looks of disgust from some of the beach couples who shook their heads at me in shame as they nibbled on a rice cake.  It got worse, a few minutes later, I started spewing seawater onto the sand and it came out of my nose! I cried very loudly and some of them actually packed up and left, fearful I think of what I might do for an encore!

I was recovering from my shame when the Tropical Storm hit. It was rather cosy, huddled up in paradise with wind and rain lashing the windows and making the lights flicker, all very Woman in Black. It’s been like that for a couple of days but the sunshine has returned today, enabling The Major and I to take to the road on the hog! (It sounds and looks like a hairdryer – the shame of travelling on this funky moped, which we have named Maureen, is nearly as great as having my arse exposed on the beach!) I shall take photos and put them up somewhere.

Despite the lure of the beach and the temptation to explore, I have been writing for about fourteen hours a day and am loving my current novel. It has made me laugh and cry, a good sign I think! Have you seen the new website? I am so chuffed with it.  www.amandaprowse.org for those that have yet to click on it, there’s a sign-up thingy for news and bits and bobs from Head of Zeus and there are some very exciting things in the pipeline!

“…then I was met by a gigantic chicken who was very shouty and very stompy….”

Animals and creepy crawlies have featured highly this week, you all know about my shower pets; I now have laundry pets too! A bunch of blue bodied, green tailed mini lizards that want to live on top of my washing machine. I find if I scream they usually run away and if they don’t, I do – it’s worked so far! And then I was met by a gigantic chicken who was very shouty and very stompy and couldn’t see why she had to leave the hallway, she thought maybe it was me that should vacate the space and looked at me with a kind of, I was here first face! I’ve nicknamed her Tulisa.

I miss my friends, my kids, my family and a cockroach free bathroom, not necessarily in that order, but we have settled. You know things are ok when you have a buss pass and know at least 3 people on the route. Bus friends make the world a better place.

I send you love.

My new hobby is waving more – feel free to join me.

Mandy x

 

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084