Covid Chronicles 1

 

                                                                                                                                                                          

Hello Everyone,

Lady M here. Yes, I am back as this awful virus is getting worse. I hope you have enjoyed a respite  here while Sofia and Donald dived into the archives. They left you with a quiz last week and I have posted the answers for you.

I am still scribing my log on the current events. It began as "Lockdown" for twenty-one days; it is now the "Covid Chronicles" and has reached 150,000 words. In real terms it is the length of 1 1/2 novels. I have posted the cover of my book "Stay in Touch" this week because I think the message is very relevant. We need to stay in touch with each other but not physically. I started phoning peeps every day at the beginning of this in an effort to reengage with the Landline telephone as opposed to texting and grunting at peeps. I am pleased to say that my humble effort has encouraged others to do the same. Please think about phoning friends or elderly relatives who are in seclusion as well as using social media.

This week I am sharing my chronicle entries for days 207-209. Yes, it is over 200 days since the UK went into lockdown! Enjoy

Day 207, Friday October 16^th, 2020

Good afternoon Peeps,

I have just had another exciting experience courtesy of the Society of Authors. I have had online meditation. Thoroughly relaxing, comforting, and invigorating experience. I feel I can take the world on now. Brill.

My new blog is up and running. I have been pottering and playing but feeling great.

What is happening today?

Our Boris has commented that if the EU does not change its approach we are going for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. Let me get this right. We are the ones, (well not me, but some) who want to leave the EU, but we expect them to accept our terms? Who put this man in charge anyway? I remember, peeps who heard him utter three words, “Get Brexit Done” and they put their faith in him. I hear Judge Rinder saying, “Stupid”.

On the Covid-19 situation Wales is likely to be following Northern Ireland on the circuit breaker or short sharp shock to control the virus soon. I have neighbours who were looking forward to the half-term hols and a short stay in Wales. Cancelled. As we are in the tier 2 high category, we are banned from going there and the First Minister for Wales (I didn’t know they had one) is looking to tighten things up, more restrictions coming.

As the situation in England worsens what is our Boris doing? Pondering and dithering. Apparently, SAGE advised weeks ago of the probable second wave and that early action needed to be taken. I think Boris is still pondering over that. “To be or not to be”, “to act or not to act” That is the question. Thinking about it, Boris never really gives a positive instruction, he either advises or suggests things but never clearly. Leaving us as a country in chaos and disarray. Greater Manchester is borderline for Tier 3 and they are protesting and refusing to accept it because there are insufficient funds provided by the government to compensate lost revenue. Boris is sitting back, watching, and waiting, saying that he will intervene if he must. Meanwhile, the gyms in Liverpool are refusing to obey the instruction to close because there is no evidence that they are a danger to peeps using them. The owners have spent a fortune conforming to the instructions given in a lengthy manual and if they close, they know they will not open again. As of midnight tonight, Lancashire will join Liverpool in Tier 3, but not all the rules are the same. Gyms do not have to close there. So same tier, different rules. Can you work it out?

On a more serious note there has been a beheading in Paris. A terrorist attack on a teacher who had been teaching about free speech and using the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of Mohammed. What is the world coming to?

Okay, I am off for dinner and tv. Nice bubble bath tonight and playing games. So, goodnight, stay safe and positive. Remember whether you swim or sink in this crisis is up to you.

 

Days 208 and 209, Saturday and Sunday. Le weekend! Enjoy!

Howde Peeps, it’s the weekend again and what do I see this morning. The total global figure is 40,013,426. My prediction is spot on. Last Sunday it was 37,603,503 and I said it would be passed the 40 million mark this weekend. As winter approaches, we are losing the battle, but we will win the war. On Friday, the total daily case number rose to 400,000+ a record for a one-day increase. In the UK Manchester is still at loggerheads with the government over going into tier 3. We are moving up the league table and are at number 11 with a total of 705,428 case. Yes, we have passed the 700,000-mark including 16,000 new cases and 150 deaths. Spain is still the worst hit European country approaching the 1,000,000 mark. USA, India, Brazil, and Russia have 22,000,000+ cases between them which is more than 50% of the total.

Today, I have succumbed and brought in the last plants from my porch/conservatory. It is now a storage only area for the winter months. Sad. I have also lost my darling Antonio until the spring; he has made his last visit and his little van with melodic tones and ice cream will be like my plants in store for winter. A double whammy today. However, I am still happy because I choose to be. I am still feeling good after my meditation experience on Friday and I am accepting that which I cannot change. The secret of happiness lies within oneself which is why I can still smile and stay positive.

So, my weekend is one of acceptance. I am pottering and playing. I have been down to McColl’s to get those lovely chicken and bacon slices that I love and that meant little car has had an excursion. The leaves on the trees opposite my abode are an orangey colour and they are falling like confetti to the ground. Soon those branches will be stark naked again and waiting for new buds to appear. Yes, positivity means spring is round the corner, with new life and warmth until then we have Christmas and hopefully a better 2021 to look forward to. I am thinking of dear Sofia Haslington in “Look After Each Other”, she said, “look forward with hope but back with gratitude”. That woman inspires me.

Back to reality and the universe. Migrants are still risking life and limb crossing the English Channel for the hope of a better life. Peeps in China, who can afford it, are queuing up to test the first vaccine for Covid-19. Would you risk it? New Zealand has had its general election and Jacinda Ardern has won a landslide victory for labour her labour party. She is held in high esteem by her country after the way she handled the Covid-19 situation putting NZ into early and severe lockdown. Our Boris could learn a lot from her.

So, France has seen its first beheading since the days of the guillotine. (The last person executed by guillotine was Hamida Djandoubi on September 10, 1977 in Marseille.) I Googled it for you. Yes, I am surprised it was as late as 1977. I have images of the days of the Bastille, Revolution and women knitting as heads dropped. Also, Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities”. And we thought times had changed. The present beheading is the action of an Islamic Terrorist. Children were asked to identify the history teacher, Monsieur Samuel Paty, before 18-year old Aboulakh, a Russian national of Chechen origin, decapitated him with a kitchen knife in a Paris suburb. The police shot him but not before he had managed to post his action onto social media. No, I have not seen it and I have no desire to. Once again, I ask the question, what is this world coming to?

Meanwhile, in America election fever continues. I have friends who have taken their ballots in person to the appropriate centres ensuring the votes are counted. There is much fear of rigging the election, votes disappearing etcetera. Trump v. Joe Biden? What a decision. I am still not convinced that President Trump has tested positive for Covid-19 so would I trust him? That’s something to be thankful for today, I am not in America!

On that note, I am signing off for the weekend. Gonna watch my first Christmas Movie as ice cream days are over. Then have dinner, roast chicken with veggies, vino and whatever follows. Then, we shall see. Probably, another quiet night in.

Stay safe, my friends. 

                                                       

 Love to you all, Lady M xxxxxx

Dialogue





Hello Everyone,

Has flash fiction been inspirational for you? Are you buzzing with ideas for drabbles and dribbles or addicted to six word stories?

This week I want to look at an important part of any novel... dialogue, speech or conversation between characters. Often a story is told through its characters, through their interaction, dialogue, thoughts and actions. The other descriptive paragraphs are merely background information. Dialogue can make or break a novel. Ernest Hemingway is considered to be the 'master' of dialogue. He writes it as it should be... simple and realistic... short and poignant. There is no need to indicate who is speaking or how they are acting; their speech tells all. It is thought that he spent a considerable amount of time on dialogue and I would like to share an example of his work with; it is from one of my favourite novels, A Farewell to Arms.

Catherine Barkley has arrived on duty at the hospital. She is late...

Catherine was not due on duty until nine o’clock. I heard her passing along the floor when she first came on duty and once saw her pass in the hall. She went to several other rooms and finally came into mine.
 "I’m late, darling," she said. "There was a lot to do. How are you?"
 I told her about my papers and the leave.
"That’s lovely," she said. "Where do you want to go?"
 "Nowhere. I want to stay here."
 "That’s silly. You pick a place to go and I’ll come too."
 "How will you work it?"
"I don’t know. But I will."
 "You’re pretty wonderful."
"No I’m not. But life isn’t hard to manage when you’ve nothing to lose."
 "How do you mean?"
 "Nothing. I was only thinking how small obstacles seemed that once were so big."
 "I should think it might be hard to manage."
 "No it won’t, darling. If necessary I’ll simply leave. But it won’t come to that."
"Where should we go?"
 "I don’t care. Anywhere you want. Anywhere we don’t know people."
 "Don’t you care where we go?" "No. I’ll like any place."
She seemed upset and taut.
 "What’s the matter, Catherine?"
 "Nothing. Nothing’s the matter."
 "Yes there is."
 "No nothing. Really nothing."
 "I know there is. Tell me, darling. You can tell me."
 "It’s nothing."
 "Tell me."
 "I don’t want to. I’m afraid I’ll make you unhappy or worry you."
 "No it won’t."
 "You’re sure? It doesn’t worry me but I’m afraid to worry you."
 "It won’t if it doesn’t worry you."
 "I don’t want to tell."
 "Tell it."
 "Do I have to?"
 "Yes."
"I’m going to have a baby, darling. It’s almost three months along. You’re not worried, are you? Please please don’t. You mustn’t worry."
"All right."
 "Is it all right?"
 "Of course."
 "I did everything. I took everything but it didn’t make any difference."
 "I’m not worried."
 "I couldn’t help it, darling, and I haven’t worried about it. You mustn’t worry or feel badly."
 "I only worry about you."


Isn't that just beautiful? It is simple but says everything. We share the emotion and thoughts with Catherine and Frederic and are aware of the entire situation. It also flows naturally. In fact, it is realistic. Dialogue IS important.

I was extremely flattered when my editor complimented my dialogue in Stay in Touch. He commented that it crackled! Well, I took it as a compliment. Now, I know I am not in the same league as Hemingway but I would still like to share an extract of mine from Stay in Touch with you. Andrea has invited her sister over for lunch... she has something to discuss with her and needs her help.

       Christabelle was tired of this farce and wanted to escape as soon as possible. She rose and walked across the hall into the dining room. There, on the table, lay two place mats, crockery, cutlery, and between them a large dish of salad and a quiche, but no potatoes or any sign of dessert. It was plain and simple.
     ‘Well?’
     ‘What, Belle?’
     ‘Why am I here?’
     ‘OK. Straight to the point. I want a divorce. You know all about these things.’
      At last this was more like Andrea, outspoken and direct.
     ‘A divorce?’
     ‘Yes.’
     ‘Why?’
     ‘He’s been unfaithful.’
     ‘David?’
     ‘Who else?’
     ‘I would never have thought it of him.’
     ‘Some floozy in the office, well his secretary.’
     ‘Are you sure?
      'Well...’
     ‘Well what?’
     ‘I think so.’
         At that point the phone rang. Andrea answered it and made it clear that she could not talk at that time. However, Christabelle heard the word, “darling”.
     ‘That wasn’t David was it?’
     ‘No.’
     ‘And HE’s the one having the affair? Come on, Andrea. I’m your sister. I can read you like a book. Daddy’s favourite.’
    ‘OK. I’m tired of David, the whole housewife and mother thing. It’s so boring.  I wanted some fun and one thing led to another.’
    Now, Christabelle knew why she had been unusually quiet at the funeral.
   ‘Who is he?’
   ‘No one you know.’
   ‘Where did you meet him?’
   ‘At a school PTA.’
   ‘Parent or teacher?’
   ‘Teacher.’
   ‘Oh great. You’re having an affair with one of your daughters’ teachers. How are they going to feel? Have you thought about the effects of this?’
   ‘What does it matter? This sort of thing’s happening all the time. Wake up.’
   ‘Is he married?’
   ‘No.’
   ‘Divorced, widowed or bachelor?’
   ‘Does it matter?’
   ‘Yes.’
   ‘Divorced.’
   ‘Oh great. This just gets better. Wake up. Any family?’
   ‘A son, lives with his mother. He sees him at weekends.’
   ‘How far has this relationship gone? All the way?’
   ‘Why?’
   ‘Well, you want a divorce.’
   ‘Why all these questions, Belle? All I asked was about getting a divorce. You’re the one with that experience.’
   ‘You need a divorce solicitor. Dad’s solicitor tracked Richard down in Tibet and sorted things out for me.’
   ‘And you think I’m his favourite.’
   ‘You are, you know you are.’
  
No, I am not in the same league as Hemingway but I am proud of my dialogue. How do I create it? I try to make it natural and realistic by following the rule of making it short, simple and realistic. I read all of my dialogue out aloud to myself. I shout, scream and even do actions if I think they are appropriate. Finally, I go by the 'feel'. Does it feel right? Dialogue may be simple but it does take time to create. If you are an author take time creating it. If you are a reader, read dialogue carefully and think of the effort which went into creating it.

Have a great week folks,

Love to you all, Lady M

New wheels... nostalgia!

Hello Everyone,

I hope my reposting of Positivity last week helped some of you if you were having difficulties find a solution to problems. I've had fun going through the archives and have decided during June and July to be nostalgic and repost some of the older ones. You may argue that I'm too lazy to do new ones! Moi!! Ha ha! The oldest one I have goes back to May 2010 when I was forced to buy a new vehicle after a thief helped himself to my beautiful 20 year old Micra. He was caught and had stolen other vehicles; he received a custodial sentence. So, he went to prison and I got a new car. Sounds fair to me. 'Baby' and I have had a lot of fun together and been to many places like Burley and Blackpool on holidays, numerous trips to New Writers UK events and that would not have happened without Sat Nav (acquired by accident!). I'm a believer that everything happens for a reason. I obviously needed to buy a new car although I still miss my 1990 Micra. I can't believe it's been 8 years but please join me in my little visit down memory lane.

Until next week, have fun and be careful driving.

Love Lady M xxxxx

                                                      *********************

Hello Everyone,

On Thursday afternoon I brought my new and expensive baby home. Our first gentle drive together was a difficult one as I have only driven one vehicle in the last twenty years. In 1990 the salesperson took ten minutes to show me all the controls; this time it was forty-five minutes which included setting up my mobile with the installed Bluetooth so that should my phone ring while I'm driving I just press the button with the phone symbol on it on the steering wheel and I can hear and talk to the person at the other end. Alexander Graham Bell we've come along way since that first historic call.

Unfortunately, the wipers and indicators have changed sides which means that should I choose to turn left the windscreen wipers suddenly charge across the screen. Old habits die hard but I'm learning. Fortunately, the number plate is a clear indication that my baby is new or it could just be the way I'm driving that cause drivers behind to drop back and treat me with caution. This is most unusual as a Nissan Micra, a small and slow car, usually means driver speed up and overtake. You will see from the photographs that I am like a proud parent with another new offspring. She is named Baby May Ten or Bee Gee after her registration letters. When we arrived home with only sixteen miles on her digital odometer and a clear flashing warning me that I only have enough juice to do another thirty-six miles I park her, talk to her and of course take the photos and immediately post them on Facebook. Then we have to practice reverse and put her in her new apartment for the night.

I then go down Memory Lane. Have I really been driving for forty years? Those driving behind me would probably doubt it. Bee Gee is only my sixth car and had my fifth one not been stolen there would never have been a sixth. In the seventies I had two second-hand minis and recall the problems of the choke and flooding the engine. My uncle was in the trade and was one of the first to bring the Japanese Honda cars into Britain. In 1977 I bought my first new car, a beautiful silver Civic; she was the 'S Plate special' and a silver streak bombing around Birmingham with heads turning to admire her. In 1981 we parted company and I bought an automatic red Civic with a radio installed - what luxury! A radio in a car.

In 1990 I switched to Micras and was relieved to find that the choke was no longer necessary. One just turned on the ignition and pressed the accelerator pedal. This car had both a radio and a clock. It was a far cry from the days of the fifties when my father would allow a good ten minutes to start the car as he put the crank (starting handle) in the front of the engine and turned it while secretly praying that it would actually start.

So, what does your car say about you?

People tend to have their own favourite makes and models. Some people like small cars others large or sporty models. What car do you have? Why do you like it? Does your vehicle have a name? What colour is it? Is it diesel or petrol engine? What does a red flame Nissan Micra say about me?

It is a small, slow car and an automatic. It's easy to park as I confess to being a typical woman. I recall the conversations with my father who would say that there was enough room to park a double-decker bus as I looked for a larger parking space. I'd reply that I needed room for a double-decker bus and an aeroplane.

I've been given one piece of good advice which I share with you; always keep an atlas in the car even if you've got Sat Nav! I would suggest that you always keep a good novel in the car as well but not for reading while driving.

Thought for the week: Happiness and health are the greatest good fortunes, worth more than any amount of cash.

Remember that 'Time and Tide' wait for no man, so have 'No Regrets', 'Stay in Touch' and always 'Look After Each Other'.

Buy a book! Go on! Treat yourself!



Hello Everyone,



TREAT YOURSELF. SPOIL YOURSELF.  BUY A BOOK.
                                             
TIME & TIDE

This is the first book I published. For those of you who ask the question, How long does it take to write a book? It took 3 years to write this one. It was designed with the Millennium in mind. I know it's 16 years ago but to me it only seems like yesterday which is a sign of my own age. At that time there was much euphoria about the 'good old days' and all that had happened in the twentieth century and I thought it would be a good idea to take a character born on January 1st 1950 who would be celebrating her 50th birthday at the Millennium and create a family saga around her and those 50 years. I created the Stephenson family with Irene Joy born in 1950 and named Irene because the name means 'peace' in Greek. She was a symbol of hope for the future after the first part of the century had seen two World Wars. In addition to the narrative I gave Irene's mother the role of writing a diary but not just a personal one, one which included the social and historical events throughout the 50 years and it interspersed throughout the book in italics.
This book was self-published but it is still available worldwide on Amazon, and the Internet or from good bookshops. The ISBN is 9780953945108 and price £7.99 GBP. (paperback)

NO REGRETS

This book was originally written during the 6 week summer holidays in 1987 when I was still teaching. Only 6 weeks to write a book! The time taken to write a book is like the proverbial piece of string! It varies according to the author and the type of book. Writing must be about the only occupation where there is no set pattern for working; I have yet to meet two authors who work in the same way. It was originally titled Innocent Victim and a diary of a divorced woman and teacher throughout the year of 1986. At the time I denied the fact that it was cathartic but with hindsight! I was divorced then and teaching in the UK was not easy as the education system was undergoing radical change; I was thoroughly disillusioned with the entire system and wrote a rather dramatic line, 'one day someone will realise that education is about children'! Redeployment was everywhere and I found the majority of my colleagues to be more concerned with their own careers and promotions than with the children. I guess I was a cross between Jean Brody and Mr. Chips! I wrote it in diary format with each month being a chapter. I was pleased with the end result and attempted unsuccessfully to get it published in mainstream.
So, after learning all about self-publishing from The Citron Press, and publishing Time & Tide I decided to retrieve the Innocent Victim manuscript and rewrite it. I published a slightly longer version as No Regrets in 2003. All the characters are fictitious and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is pure coincidence. Dear Joanna finds herself in constant turmoil, 'The absolute lay on the table...'. She was divorced and had suffered the humiliation of her husband leaving her for a younger model. Everything had changed and all that she had taken for granted as a married woman had disappeared. She was now alone and must face financial, emotional, sexual and all the problems that life after a failed marriage brings. Life beyond her sanctuary continues regardless of her feelings or situation; she becomes a prey for every man in creation since Adam and learns to use sex to her own advantage...
This book is still available worldwide on Amazon, The Internet or from good bookshops. The ISBN is 9780953945115. Price £8.99 GBP (paperback)

STAY IN TOUCH

When I wrote this book I was proud to be able to say that I was an author and publisher of 'books' as opposed to just one book! It was also nice to be able to say that I was working on number 3. With this book I can confess to being an absolute hoarder and can justify never throwing anything away because it might come in useful one day. In the 1980's a friend had suggested that I write a play for a competition and it was at a time when I had met up with an old school friend. We had been communicating by sending postcards, birthday cards and Christmas cards with scribbled notes for many years and promising to meet up but had never managed to find the time. At last, we were in my home telling each other of marriages, divorces, and events throughout the fifteen years since we had left school. It was this incident in my own life which inspired me to write a play set in the café on Sheffield station. Two friends meet and tell each other of their lives in a hurried hour and promise to Stay in Touch but of course they both know they will not! That's Life!
As I was thinking about what to write next and looking through files I discovered this forgotten play and asked myself many questions of, What if? What if one is poor and one is rich? What if they both wanted what the other had? What if they would do whatever if takes to get it? What if they had set themselves goals to achieve in their childhood and decided to do them?
When my editor (a man!) read the manuscript I believe he was quaking in his shoes! He wrote the blurb for the jacket cover,
"Just what can drive a woman to murder? Or even three murders? Men. How can she become a serial killer, undetected and rich on the proceeds of her crimes? It all seems so simple for Christabelle after failed marriages to a homosexual and a bigamist. She confides only so much to her best friend as they recall their youthful wishes and dreams.
If you have ever written down 50 things you intend to do before 30,40 or 50 you will understand and marvel at this black comedy.
Marilyn L.  Rice has written a story which races along with the pace of a thriller yet shrewdly observes the problems facing women today and a terrifying solution of how they can be overcome.
And when you have finished the book the story will stay long in your mind...whether you are a woman - or even more so if you are a man."
This book was self-published in 2005 and launched at the Hay Festival but it is still available worldwide on Amazon and on the Internet or from good bookshops. The ISBN is 9780953945122 and the price £8.99 GBP (paperback)

LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER

I feel that authors grow with their work and by the time I was planning my fourth book I felt I had reached maturity. This book, like all of my books, began with the ending. I'm afraid I always start by writing the final chapter and then I know what I'm working toward. It may sound strange, and I usually have to make a few changes, but it works for me.
The idea was to interweave three things. The inspiration came from events in my own life. I once had the misfortune to meet a gentlemen whose sole aim in life was to complain and find fault. I have always had a strong relationship with my father and thirdly, I have visited clairvoyants/mediums. What if? What if? Could I work with a plot involving these three ideas and a lot of 'what ifs'? After a lot of planning - it worked!
"Sofia Haslington is a 36-year-old mother and housewife kept under the thumb of her priggish, anal-retentive husband, Derek. Living by a second-to-second timetable and under strict rules enforced by her husband, Sofia decides to visit a well-respected clairvoyant, hoping for a bit of respite from her otherwise dreary existence. But what she is surprised to learn that day not only changes her life...it changes her.
Sofia, now planning to die on March 5th 2005, writes a "Do or Die" list and, with a renewed sense of spirit, unleashes the bad girl hidden deep down inside. From breaking the Ten Commandments to exploring the marvels of Tantric sex, Sofia goes on a liberating journey of body, mind, and spirit, relishing every last minute she has left on this earth. Women everywhere will laugh, cry, and cheer as Sofia counts down her final moments, making each one more memorable and enjoyable than the last." (Blurb from SBP edition)
I self-published this, my fourth book, and launched it at M.Roberts. Books And ?????? shop in Slaithwaite, Yorkshire on September 16th 2007, exactly 7 years since I'd received the copies of my first book!
Later, in 2009, it was republished by the American Strategic Book Publishers in hardback.
Both editions (paper/softback and hardback) are still available worldwide on Amazon, The Internet and from good bookshops. The paperback edition is ISBN 9780953945139 and price £8.99 GBP. The hardback edition is ISBN 9781608600946 and price $28.50.

SOFIA'S LEGACY                                                                   

" Is there 'life' after death?

In Sofia's Legacy the second book of a fascinating trilogy, Sofia has died, but has come back from "upstairs" to watch her own funeral.

She attends with her deceased father to see that everything proceeds as it should. Watching events "downstairs", Sofia wants to help her loved ones, with no one aware of her presence. As Sofia adjusts to death, she and the others upstairs enjoy the pleasures of the afterlife.

In the previous book, Look After Each Other, Sofia transformed her life after learning of impending death. Now she is seeking the answers to the questions all of us want to know. What exactly happens after we die?" (Taken from the jacket cover)  ISBN 9781609763800 $16.50/ £10.50 softback.

  

          LOVE YOU FOREVER

Love You Forever is the final book in the inspirational and otherworldly Sofia Trilogy. The story concludes with a totally unexpected ending. It is five years later, 2010.
This final book shows how dramatic and unimaginable events have changed the lives of everyone Sofia left behind at Haslington Towers. Even more surprising events occur that lead to devastating consequences. This stunning book series delves into karma, the afterlife, and more things in heaven and earth than you have ever dreamed! (Taken from jacket blurb) ISBN 978631353659 $18.00/ £11.00 softback/paperback

                                                                    *****

All of these are also available as signed copies and at a discounted price from myself. Just ask, payment plus p&p may be made through Paypal.

Thought for the week: Escape with a good book.


Love to you all,

Lady M (Sofia and Donald xxx)

Inspiration!

A swan at the Ice House Pool

Hello Everyone,

As a writer I am frequently asked where my inspiration comes from. The answer is anywhere and everywhere, life in general, people, events, experiences, comments . . .
Usually when I'm least expecting it and I don't have a camera, recorder or pen and paper to hand. I try committing to memory. I'm still trying to get into the habit of using my mobile phone as a camera. A telephone device that takes pictures? Oh come on! As I said to the assistant in one of these modern phone shops, 'I go back to the days of press Button B to get your money back.' In the good old days one always carried 4 pence (old pennies, the days of pounds, shillings and pence and when there were 240 pennies to the Sterling Pound) in case one needed to make a phone call from one of those red phone boxes. Many will recognise those as 'Book Exchanges' today.


Books evolve from imagination, research and experience. They come into existence through inspiration and after many days and nights of blood, sweat and tears. They begin with that first capital letter and conclude with the final full stop at the end of the last chapter, or round about the 100,000 word mark. Then comes the 'Hallelujah' moment. Next, they're put into cold storage for a while before another reading, professional editing,  type-setting/text blocking, proof-reading and finally one sees them in print. One looks in total disbelief!

But what is 'inspiration'?

'Stimulation of the mental or emotional faculties to a high level of feeling, animation or creativity' (Reader's Digest Universal Dictionary).


The one person who has always been my support, idol and inspiration is my father. I admired him for his caring nature, concern for others and general attitude toward life. He was the type of man who could start a party in an empty room. Then there are numerous characters throughout history who have through belief, determination or inspiration achieved great things. Individuals like Florence Nightingale, Mrs Pankhurst, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela and so many more who never gave up their fight for the cause no matter what hardships they endured. Finally, there have been many individuals throughout my life, (teachers, colleagues and friends) who have in one way or another inspired me.

But who or what inspires you? What is it that makes you get up and face each day apart from the basic need of earning an income for survival in the rat race? Why are you leading the life you lead? Why are you doing the job you do? You will have made various choices in life as a result of circumstances. There was probably someone who made you think, 'I want to be like them' or 'I want to do that' and hey presto! You have been inspired.

 

Personally, when I was teaching the best compliment I ever received came from children who said that I had in some way inspired them. We may not be aware of it but 'inspiration' plays a large part in our lives. Every day when we come into contact with other people we may make a comment or do something totally unaware of the fact that we have inspired someone else.

 

 

The photographs I have chosen for this week's blog were taken in the Sandwell Valley at Ice House Pool, a beautiful, peaceful place which I frequently visit and find inspirational and in Pafos, Cyprus. These are just two of the places where I get ideas or dialogue seems to develop for my books.

 

 

Time & Tide, my first book a family saga and history of the 1950-2000 period was inspired by my own childhood memories and the fact that the Millennium was approaching. My second book, No Regrets came into existence as a result of both my teaching and divorce experiences.

Geriskipou Church in Cyprus

I was inspired to write Stay in Touch after a conversation with an old schoolfriend. My fourth book, Look After Each Other was the result of three things: my strong relationship with my father, experiences with mediums and an unforgettable experience with a 'Derek'. Put the three together and what did I get? Inspiration for a book and not just one but three. The sequel, Sofia's Legacy continues the story by answering unanswered questions from the first novel, and then, Love You Forever is the final one in the trilogy. From small acorns large oak trees grow or in this case from three small things 'inspiration' came forth and developed into the 'Sofia Trilogy'.

 



Sunset taken from my hotel room in Pafos.... Inspirational?

 

 

You can still win a copy of LOVE YOU FOREVER

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/148094-love-you-forever

Until next week... be inspirational! You never know who you might be inspiring.

 

Lady M