P.J. Roscoe's Blog, page 4

The End is nigh!

January 23rd - nearly finished! This cold, dark, dreary month has always been difficult living in North Wales.
It's freezing - causing numb fingers and almost constant goosebumps. A soft, warm, blanket is never far away to snuggle into, neither is my strong, warm man who holds me close to share bodily warmth.
It's dark - eyes that refuse to awaken and needing lashings of hot tea to urge them to focus on the coming dawn - which are beautiful breathtaking to see as the sun rises over the hill and birds begin their songs to welcome the day.
Nothing to look forward to - except my husbands birthday on the 18th which we celebrate with friends, filling the room with laughter and joy.
It is easy to see the dark side of things, but when we truly look, there is always light.

I am enjoying writing my next novel, 'Realms' and await the editing of my fifth novel, 'Where Rivers Meet' with www.DoceBlantpublishing.com which will be an exciting adventure to come.

I await the reviews to come in and names to be added to the growing list of possible winners who I will speak with and give a free spirit reading via skype. The deadline is 12th February 2018 - buy any book of mine - leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads and contact me.

For joining my newsletter at www.pjroscoe.co.uk you can enjoy two meditations I was drawn to put together and many more free gifts coming later this year. Spread the happiness and connection.

Wishing you all a blessed new year. Find the light and feel the warmth of love.
Paula xx
Echoes

First two chapters of Between Worlds for free

So, if you like what you read - consider buying it to curl up with during these cold months - a nice hot chocolate by your side, a cosy blanket wrapped around your shoulders, a warm fire burning in the fireplace - perfect.
Between Worlds is available from www.crimsoncloakpublishing.com

Check out my website www.pjroscoe.co.uk for other free gifts when you sign up for my newsletter
Many blessings of Yule to you all. May the goddess bring you all you need for happiness and joy
P.J Roscoe xx

Buy a book, get a freebie?

Hello all you lovely people,
December is upon us and it is bloody freezing here in North Wales! So, November crazy writing is over - how did you do? Did you get that novel finished? That novella begun? That short story started and sent off?
I finished my pirate story as planned AND I penned another short story for a writing competition. What I didn't get finished was the Diary of Margery Blake audio - because - I was approached by an audio book company who asked me to join their narrators. I had to submit up to ten different samples (I gave them six), so that was exciting and kept me busy for a week. I have also begun putting together meditation sessions and so that has been about learning Audacity a little more and learning how to sample music, my voice etc. These will be offered for free when you sign up for my monthly newsletter when you go to www.pjroscoe.co.uk and find the link in the contents. 'P.J's newsletter and free gifts.'

Buy a book and leave a review on Amazon to be in with the chance of having a free spiritual reading with me. I will choose a name at random every few months. Names taken between now and the middle of February will have a half hour session with me via skype. So buy a book, in any format, leave a review and contact me via my website www.pjroscoe.co.uk on the contact page and I shall add your name to the list. Those who buy my books directly from me and leave a review, when contacting me, just tell me where/when you bought it and you'll be added to the list of possible winners, plus you'll get a code to purchase your other free gifts.
You can already purchase free gifts from crimsoncloakpublishing.com. If you like wordsearches/colouring pictures- then pop over and receive your freebies of my books and others
http://main.crimsoncloakpublishing.co... Some fantastic colouring in pages for all ages to download.
Free gifts will become available regularly, meditations, free short stories, sub-plots of my books etc.


This is all about combining all that I am - author/healer/medium.

Love and blessings
Paula

November writing frenzy!

November is upon us and by now thousands if not millions of writers, authors and those starting out on their writing journey are busy writing, typing and however else they can, to get their novels, novella's, short stories, screenplays and audio books either finished or at least make a dent in its creation through this month.
It's known as NANOWRIMO
Getting that novel done in 30 days - what a challenge.
Some attempt to write a minimum of a 1000 words a day - creating a 30,000 novella in a month. other's attempt a minimum of 50,000 words in a month to really push the boundaries. I heard from one author this month who is attempting to create an 80,000 word book and he works full time - now that is commitment.
However, having never read anything created during one such November frenzy, it is impossible to say whether these works are actually any good, or whether this is the first draft frenzied attack on a possible novel further along the writing chain.
I have never attempted it. Firstly, I don't wait till November to be creating - I write something every day. Secondly, I know that my life first and foremost evolves around my family. An adult daughter with special needs is time consuming, exhausting and is my first priority. To add another challenge to my day which in turn would cause stress - is not something that I'd relish. I know this is supposed to be a 'fun' thing to do, but many take it extremely seriously - which is not a bad thing, just something I cannot do all the time.
My writing is a serious business, don't get me wrong. I am Mum, author, in that order most of the time, however, during week days when Megan is in college, author is on! Yet there are so many distractions of life.
I gave a book-signing/talk recently and the question of writing every day came up.
I do write every day, but it may not be what I actually want to write. I am half way through my sixth novel, yet I have not been able to sit and continue writing it due to half term, various book signing commitments and networking, marketing, blogs, short stories, FB, twitter, Pinterest, emails, other commitments etc etc etc. Life can get in the way of what we truly want - but I never lose sight of it. it is always there and I try to work my way back to it.
Though, in truth, 'Realms' is not a huge priority as I have another novel, 'Where Rivers Meet' sitting in a queue with the publishers waiting to see if it will be accepted. if it is, then that is a year or so of editing etc and then a while to see if that sells enough to justify another novel - so 'Realms' may not see the light for a long time.
And so, this November, my priorities are:
Finish a pirate story for Doce Blant anthology
Finish audio book of 'Diary of Margery Blake'
Try and sort out audio book for 'Freya's Child' as that has become my nemesis to get that onto publishers website and Audible who keep knocking it back for weird reasons.

For those who ask me about writing I say this - WRITE! Don't think about it, don't question it - write about anything and everything - get your mindset into describing everything you see, hear and feel. Use words you're unfamiliar with. Read. And then find something to focus your talent - be it a writing competition, local writing group, find what makes your heart and soul sing and live it, love it.

Enjoy life and stay warm this busy November

Love and blessings
P.J Roscoe

P.J Roscoe

Between Worlds

Halloween Blues!

Well, it's November 1st and All Hallow's Eve, Halloween, Samhain is over for another year. Today is known as 'All Saint's Day' for christians, I call it, my ancestors day. The scary night has ended, when the veil between this world and the next is at its weakest and we do our various rituals to keep the ghosts and spirits at bay. We hide behind grotesque masks, we play tricks or gather treats, we light candles within various vegetables to ward off the dead, but now comes the calm before the next storm - Bonfire night.
I struggle with this one. We celebrate something horrendous. A man torn to pieces, tortured, maimed and finally murdered, purely because of religion - why?
Halloween I understand. It is a centuries ancient rite to the old gods of which our ancestors used to help them make sense of their world. But bonfire night? What is it we are trying to make sense of? How could our ancestors have allowed religion to discriminate between people so badly that they tortured and murdered those who did not follow what others deemed right? From what I can understand, it all boiled down to a bible. They agreed on a God, but apparently he was different depending on what book you read? Henry VIII has a lot to answer for - not only murdering his wives and anyone he didn't like, but creating a belief that separated human beings.
I hope Guy Fawkes and all the other men who helped with the gunpowder plot are laughing at such a farce.!!
So November is also Nanomono something or other!!! I can never remember what it actually is - and I'm an author! Writing so many words a day to finish a novel. One author told me it is a very stressful time - so why do it? Life should not be stressful, so why help it become so?
I am writing a short story on a pirate theme for my publisher's anthology and I hope to finish putting 'Diary of Margery Blake' onto audio so she's ready to go when my publishers want her. if they don't, I will. I have an account on Audible.
So, don't stress about November - the dark, empty month before the chaos of December! Find the joy in all that you do. be it staring at a large bonfire with a straw man burning to death within the flames - or getting treacle toffee stuck in your teeth!! Or, writing that novel, short story or walking among nature as the leaves turn red and golden. Live life and love.

Many blessings
Paula

www.pjroscoe.co.uk

Diary of Margery Blake

Echoes

Scary stories

So, okay, All Hallow's Eve - Halloween, Samhain is fast approaching and we all love great scary stories. I, being the author of paranormal scary stories love them even more than most people!!
Goodreads has just asked me to write a two sentence scary story - which I found fascinating - but did it without thinking.
It can be found on my page.
But here's another:
He could hear her singing whilst he lay back in the large, victorian bathtub and he smiled to himself; he was glad that someone was happy. It was as he reached for his towel, he abruptly remembered his housekeeper had left an hour or more since; he was supposed to be alone.

I'd love to hear your two sentence scary stories.
I will be telling scary stories of my life as a spiritual medium at Whittington Castle on Oct 27th. Following a ghost tour of the castle, over 18's can join me as I try to communicate with the spirits of the castle. I have recently helped one trapped soul move on in his journey. There are others.
Booking is essential - through the castle.
I will then be talking about my recently published novel, Echoes and signing copies with a glass of wine.
Echoes

On Tues Halloween, i will be back at Oswestry library 12.30-1.30 to talk about the role of the ladies in the supernatural - from banshee to gliding nuns - £3 inc refreshments

7pm I will be joined by author Fiona Holland and together we will be entertaining you on Halloween night at Mold library - talking about our books - one paranormal, the other, contemporary fiction - £3 inc refreshments - pay on door.

Fiona and I will also be at Hawarden tithe barn fair on Saturday 28th October 10-1pm - selling and signing our books - come and chat about all things bookish.

So, scary stories, ghostly ladies, history beneath our feet, wine, cake and libraries - what a fantastic couple of weeks!!

Love and blessings
Paula x

Diary of Margery Blake

www.pjroscoe.co.uk

www.doceblant.com

www.crimsoncloakpublishing.com

Between Worlds

Talks at Oswestry Library

Oswestry on the Welsh border is a beautiful town which I have got to know fairly well over the last few months, doing various author events within it's buildings. I am now preparing for two lunchtime talks in October.
13th October 12.30-1.30pm
Learning Lunchtime.
A Woman's Voice
Diary of Margery Blake
I will be looking at how women were treated in the Victorian era - no power, no voice, no rights. Why did we allow it? Has it changed much since?

31st October 12.30-1.30pm
The Role of the Female in the Supernatural
Echoes
A fun, light hearted look at women in the afterlife! What part do they play? From nuns, to little white ladies. From Banshee to famous queens. I explore the many women seen in ghostly form and explain the difference between ghost and spirit.

Book your place through Oswestry Library £3 and I shall also have my books to sell/sign.

I asked myself how I felt about these talks today, hence this blog. Giving talks is absolutely nerve-wracking - but it is something I love to do. Having been a Cruse Bereavement Care trainer for six years and teaching various workshops, about grief, to letting go of regrets, I miss teaching and imparting some knowledge. So, it's been awhile, but hopefully its like getting back on a bike... I fell off my bike!!!! :)

Talking within historical settings

I must admit to being an historical nut. I love to find out details of places and 'feel' the vibe of anywhere old. With no history of my own, (adopted) I cannot help but delve into other peoples!
And so, when my publisher and I got together and considered places to re-launch 'Echoes' it was inevitable that it had to be places with historical interest - and if haunted, all the better.
I have been very lucky and found two historical places who are happy to host my book launches during my book-signing tour and I am on the look out for more places.
Firstly, on 23rd September 2-3.30pm I am at Oswestry Heritage Exhibition Center & Coffee shop. http://www.oswestry-tc.gov.uk/council...
Built in 1407 it has been a school, a workshouse and homes. The building is slightly lobsided, as are the upper floors where the main exhibition is. Downstairs is the information center and coffee shop, serving scrumptious cakes and good food. it is dog friendly too which is a nice change for me as I usually have my lurcher, Sidney with me.
When I first arrived, knowing nothing about the place, having come across it by accident with a friend, we walked inside and I immediately felt an energy in one part of the room. It felt busy, anxious, as though I just had to keep working. later i found out it had been a workshouse. Upstairs feels heavy, and i got pains in my chest and an uncomfortable feeling ,but I was unable to reach deeper as my daughter was downstairs.
On 23rd September I will be talking about my life as a medium, my book, 'Echoes' and reading, then Q&A and book signing. Followed by coffee and cake!

The next historical place is Whittington Castle near-by. http://www.whittingtoncastle.co.uk/in...
A 12th century castle complete with moat and two towers at the gateway and is set in 12 acres. Most of it is now in ruins, but it now houses a book shop, dungeon, coffee shop and function room. Re-enactors, 'The Black Star' frequently hold medieaval weekends here and the castle is community run. They hold regular ghost evenings and ghost tours of which we will begin the evening on 27th October 6.30pm. We will have a ghost tour where you may meet various characters from the castle, then the children will be sent off to meet the old hag while adults can stay with me in the function room and see if we can get a respectful conversation going with any of the spirits that linger within the castle. Following this, there will be a short break for various refreshments and then I will talk about my books, the paranormal and my experiences within Whittington castle, read, sell and sign books.
I spent a lovely hour whilst organising this event chatting to various spirits. One of whom is terribly unhappy and is conceived as a negative soul, he is not, merely misunderstood. I am hoping to help him move onwards into the light.
I am now hoping to find a castle or historical place to continue my book tour. if you are interested in hosting me and fit the criteria - historical and haunted - please don't hesitate in contacting me. if i can help a spirit/haunted location in any way, let me know.

Love and blessings
Paula x

Echoes

Book that make me go hmmm!

I've read quite a few books over the years. I am a slow reader these days due to lack of time as I pen my own, but still, I enjoy wading into another adventure as and when I can. over the last few weeks i have revisited an old gem and found a new one.
Old gem - is 'The Lady of Hay' by Barbara Erskine. I first read this about twenty five years ago and loved it. After meeting Barbara in may and exchanging signed books (She took Between Worlds) I had to revisit the book. I enjoyed it for the most part, yet, I didn't think it had aged so well. In those twenty odd years women have power, they are recognised as powerful people who don't need a man to rescue them or tell them what to do and within this book, the main character is treated appallingly by the men in her life and she whines about it, but never actually does anything about it and it grated on me! She allows a man to get away with rape, beatings and ordering her about and at the time it angered me, now it infuriates me. No woman would, or should allow a man to treat her in any way negative and throughout this book, she does allow it, gives in constantly and behaves so submissive I cringed - a lot.
Made me consider other books written in the eighties and how they portray women.
Now the new gem - Never Surrender by Deanna jewel. I am only half way through but my oh my it does create a nice feeling with all the sexual tension so far! The main character, a woman, is strong, forthright and is battling her various emotions while trying to stay alive in the past. I hope she doesn't become compliant and weak further into the book. :(
Both books are very different, yet have made me consider how women are portrayed within books/tv/films etc.
Take Rapunzel - perfect example of a pathetic blonde who apparently had nothing better to do that sit around all day waiting for prince charming!! Why? Why does a woman need a man to save her? Look at it as a man, stuck in a tower all day - is he going to wait around for a strong woman to rescue him? of course not. he would be portrayed as a strong, powerful character who kills the witch with his bare hands or a big gun and rides off in search of some pretty maid who will fall for his charms! YUK!
So books that make you go hmmm? I'd love to hear from you. All my books have strong women characters as I want to portray women as equals - which we are in all things to men. We did not come from a man's rib - he came from our vagina - worth remembering that!!

Diary of Margery Blake

What Women Want!

Well, we all know what women want - respect, equality, justice and it is our right to have such things, yet, it seems it wasn't always so and I pondered this whilst researching Diary of Margery Blake. What was it that gave men this idea that women were inferior to them? When did women allow men to become so abhorrent in their behaviour towards us? Why did we allow it to continue?
Women have had power in their own right since who knows when, but we do know that Viking women were respected in their own right. Yes, their role was defined as domestic and their freedom was limited, yet compared to other European countries, Viking ladies had a lot of responsibilities and could be rich, landowners. They ran the farms whilst their fathers, husbands, brothers were off raiding and were responsible for the finances. Law forbid any woman to be touched unless she gave permission. For a Viking to strike a woman or worse was considered a dishonour.

The Celtic women had even more freedom to fight, carry weapons, train to fight and led armies. Many said the women Celts were more ferocious than the men and were feared for their courage in battles. Although many men ruled, it is a queen that is remembered most - Boudicca, the Queen of the Celtic tribe, Iceni. Cartimandua is another great Queen who ruled the Brigantes, a tribe of northern Britain. Women could become druids, including priestesses, poets, and healers. They could conduct business without the consent or involvement of their husbands. They could serve as diplomats; in fact, a woman acted as ambassador in establishing the treaty between the Carthaginian general Hannibal and the Celtic ruler Volcae during a march against Rome.

Yet, it still becomes obvious that even though women had power, it was limited and rules were made by men. Why is that? At what point in history did men decide that they owned us, ruled us, decided what we could or could not do and what roles we had to perform in society?
During my research on 19th century women's rights, I was astounded that women had allowed themselves to be treated so badly. A dog had more rights than a woman who was merely a pawn in family politics, owned nothing, not even her children or her earned wages and could be beaten, starved and kept locked up if her husband deemed it necessary.
Yet, there have always been strong women throughout history to challenge men's ridiculous thinking. If a man can do it, so can a woman - we can even pee standing up if we choose to using a 'she-wee'!!
One of my favourite women who proved men could be idiotic in their thinking and behaviour was Emma Sharp who in 1864 decided to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours to prove a woman could do it and was NOT feeble or frail as men liked to believe. During this time thousands came to see her, yet many attempted to ruin her chances by tripping her, firing guns at her, which eventually, Emma had to walk with a loaded pistol and fired it 27 times to warn men off. Men attempted to chloroform her and rough her up and kept up an almost constant jeering to try and break her spirit - it did not work. Emma finished the challenge. Despite the fact that the locals celebrated Emma’s success by organizing a band to play on her final day and roasting an ox in her honor, Emma’s husband reportedly hid in the pub, embarrassed by his wife’s antics. He got over his shame pretty quickly, however, using the substantial funds she earned from ticket sales to quit his job at the Bowling Iron Works and open a rug making business!
So, ladies, were did we go wrong? Without us, men would not exist. Without us, the backbone of all countries, men would falter and die out, as would we. Men and women need each other to survive, so it's about time men realised that and gave thanks for women who have endured their stupidity long enough. Time for arrogance to end.
Women, find your power and be who you wish to be. Don't wait for permission from a man. Do not accept his behaviour towards you if it is anything other than respectful and loving. Men fear us. They fear our power. We have given them long enough and look at what men have done to our world. Time for Mother nature to fight back. Time for woman.

Diary of Margery Blake

www.pjroscoe.co.uk

By the way, I am happily married 24 years to a man who respects and loves me - I take nothing less - do you? I do not hate men, merely societies upbringing of boys to men with this idea that women have a certain place and men theirs. I know many men who have fought to get away from this ridiculous notion and to them I say, well done, I love you xx
Paula