Are you the sort of person who reads books and enjoys finding songs or music that fit a particular character or story? Here’s great blog with like minded people waiting for you! They’ve interviewed me for the latest post. (I know both sisters. They’re book’o’holics as well as great writers.) If you’re curious to know how I use music when I write or what songs other people think of when they read various books have a look!
Beauty and the Beast circa 1757…
I love fairy tales. If you’ve read several of my books that probably doesn’t surprise you. Elements of fairy tales sneak into my stories even when I’m not looking. There’s something special about fairy tales; the stories seem to breathe in between sentences giving each listener enough room to find the story they need. Most of the basic tales are ancient and probably stretch back into the mists of unrecorded time. I don’t know if my ancestors told their children Cinderella around the fireside five thousand years ago, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. [Read more…] about Beauty and the Beast circa 1757…
Blue skies ahead…
I think my brain may have been borrowed and left somewhere to gather dust. It didn’t occur to me that updating a post wouldn’t update the date. I then deleted the post. Come back brain!
My new website is up and running as of this last week and my stress level has fallen which is just as well as I ended up going to the doctors this morning as I’ve had a fever and some unpleasant pain over the weekend. I was right, I have an infection. The antibiotics ought to start working and I’ll soon be more alive than death warmed over so I can write or at least lie in bed and daydream (a very important part of the writing process). [Read more…] about Blue skies ahead…
A Morning Walk with the Goblin
This morning I was actually up, fed and dressed by 9:30 so when the Goblin suggested a gentle walk in the park I put my new camera in my pocket and we trundled over to Burghley Park. It’s private property, but they open it to the public for most of the day which is lovely, but some of the public are idiots. The private road through the park is paved, but there was a new sign saying no vehicles alowed. We parked up and started walking and within a few minutes there was a roaring enguine behind us disturbing the peace and we had to jump off the road to avoid being hit by a car driven by a smiling old woman. If she thought she’d get through the park she was disapointed; the car gate was locked and she came roaring back past us still smiling. After that we left the paved road and wandered over to see the lambs, but they were on the other side of the field because another idiot family had taken their small dogs into the penned off area and let the dogs off their leads. You have to wonder about some people. Hello? Anyone home? No? Why am I not suprised! Anyway, the lambs had had enough of people and were too far away so I suggested it was a good time to take some family photos of me and the Goblin. We haven’t had a joint picture for years so I told the Goblin, “I want a nice picture of us. Don’t make any stupid faces!” That was a waste of breath… [Read more…] about A Morning Walk with the Goblin
A beautiful yellow day…
Some days are just beautiful. Yesterday I finished chapter 30 of Once Upon a Wager and started 31. I think I only have about four chapter to go…I know I keep saying that, but this time I think it’s true. I can see the way to the heart of the maze and it feels so good. I woke at four-thirty this morning and couldn’t fall back to sleep so I got up and read the news, but after the Goblin left for work I went back downstairs to make my breakfast listening to U2’s Electrico (the live version from Sunday Bloody Sunday) feeling like dancing…maybe I was dancing…it’s a blur. When I stepped into the kitchen I was entranced by the light coming in the window over the tulips my friend Anita gave me last Wednesday. [Read more…] about A beautiful yellow day…
Isn’t she lovely…
There’s something special about the Venus de Milo. I can see her sculptor finishing her and standing back, covered in white dust, feeling awed that this serene lady captured in stone had come from his hands. She was found in 1820 (during the Regency). She’d somehow become buried in a niche in the ancient ruins of Milos on the Aegean island of Milos and forgotten. Sculpted by an Alexandros son of Menides, citizen of Antioch some time between 130 – 100 BC, she’s made of marble and slightly larger than life. She was apparently made to be seen from her right. Her left arm (now missing) was outstretched, her hand holding an apple the symbol of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. She is still enthralling people over 2000 years later. Minolta, the camera people, have done a study of the sculpture using new technology that shows her like she’s never been seen before. If you’ve never seen her in real life, or even if you have, these new images are so beautiful. Many people today think art is about ugly controversial objects created to shock or upset the viewer. Once upon a time, it was only about ceating beauty. Have a look! The Venus de Milo