Saturday 17 August 2013

Summer is disappearing....

Time really is flying between these posts, and I mean to post more regularly, but somehow time just disappears. I can't believe it's half way through August already - this summer just seems to have flown by! And as always, there are so many things that I men at to do, which I haven't - isn't it always the way?!

Writing wise, I have started writing a new story, which is very exciting, but am still doing some editing too. Think (hope!) I'm nearly there with that though for now, although I still love those characters and that story SO much. Am definitely ready to start something new though. Lots of ideas buzzing around (you know how it is) and not enough time! Isn't it always the way that you think the summer will be the time when you are just able to read and write as much as you want? NEVER WORKS THAT WAY!

Still lots of books to read as well - as always.

We have the usual glut of courgettes (many of which have turned into marrows) and are trying desperately to think of new ways to use them - so far we've had quiche, soup, kebabs, pasta sauce. Who knows what will be next, I think we've got a few more things to try!

Hoping to head out windsurfing again soon. I have quickly become OBSESSED by the wind and weather and am often found sat in front of my computer staring at forecasts. Oh dear is all I can say!

Anyway, hoping to get a lot of writing done today, fingers crossed.

Friday 2 August 2013

Jam.

No doubt if you follow me on twitter you will have seen my excitement and retweeting regarding a short story anthology entitled Jam. The anthology is one of two that has resulted from a competition run by IdeasTap and Mardibooks.... and one of my stories appears in it, hence my excitement and disbelief! Being published has always been a dream of mine and so to have a story in an ebook anthology that is actually on amazon and people can buy it and everything is amazing. Unbelievable. It would be an understatement to say I am excited about this! It's crazy to see my name up there on amazon and it's very surreal, but amazing. (Also just discovered if you search my name on amazon it comes up. AMAZING! As does another book which I definitely did not write, ha!)

Here's a paragraph about the book on their website, which can be found here along with a press release  about both Jam and Toast, the other anthology of winning entries, and all that exciting stuff:

Jam - An anthology of modern short fiction recounting the quirkiness of the everyday.

The 16 stories in Jam cover a wide variety of extreme human emotions where the trivial takes on exaggerated proportions and obsessive crimes and revolutionary thoughts push and compromise relationships and legacies.
Contributors: Ed Ballard, Eleanor Bennett, Jonathan Brown, Gavin Bryce, Constantine, Keith Dumble, VĂ©ronique Falconer, Anna Forsyth, Evan Guilford-Blake, Lorna Irvine, DJ Mac, Helen Raven, Sophie Reid, Fionn Shiner, Elly Strigner and Simon Thompson.




And you go can go buy both the anthologies here!