Lori's Blog

2011-06-01T13:55:00.001+01:00

NaNoWriMo

2010-12-01T15:58:00.003Z

I did it, I managed to write 50,000 words in November. The plot has more holes than an old pair of socks. My inner editor is on strike as I've not let her do anything for a month, the scenes have been written in a completely random order; but I did it!
The Hunter's Companion is set both in the 21st century and the 17th century. Here is the synopsis and first chapter for anyone who wants a preview!

Synopsis: The Hunter's Companion

Lora Smith's 17th century life changes forever one day deep in the English Fens. Caught up in the Witch trials of 1645 her life ends tragically early, yet her legacy lives on.
Regan White is a 21st century girl. Brought up in Brighton, she loves to shop, party and shop some more! Then fate intervenes when she's forced to relocate to the flat fenland of West Norfolk, away from everything she's ever known.
Living in Aunty Vi's crumbling old house she finds a box of old diaries that tell of strange happenings. Striking a chord with Regan's own recent, unnerving, experience of the fog that covers this low lying landscape, she is drawn into the mystery. Destiny is a big word but it seems that Regan's is entwined in this mysterious landscape.
How do the diaries, her gorgeous new friend Maeve, and the mysterious American Nate Hunter, all tie together? Will Regan find the link before it is too late or will she share Lora's fate?

Excerpt: The Hunter's Companion

Chapter 1 – Lora & Rafe
The fen fog rolled off the marsh and curled its damp fingers around Lora’s limbs as she hurried clumsily along. Eyes squinting against the impenetrable grey, she tried desperately to keep her booted feet on the narrow path without losing speed. The blackness of the hungry bog lay in wait all around, patiently seeking its next meal, yet for Lora this fear paled in comparison to the terror of that which pursued her. Her ears strained to hear over the wailing North Sea winds for any indication it was still behind her.
It, the thing, the creature. Her heart beat rose and she forced herself not to think of it.
Her foot slipped from the invisible path and muddy water seeped into her boot. Balance lost, she reached forward, found something solid and heaved herself back up, worrying absurdly what her mother would say about the state of her new gloves, her frantic mind trying to avoid all thoughts of IT. As she scrabbled along the path on hands and knees, she realised with dread that above the sound of her own heaving breaths and thumping heart she could hear its breathing. The sound was not human in any way. Each intake of breath rasped as though its chest was thick with phlegm. Each breath out oozed with malevolence; Lora didn’t know what was following her, but she knew it was evil. She knew it as sure as she knew her own name.
The fog grew denser and she tried to claw it out of the way, to free her eyes to see the path ahead of her. Standing again, desperately seeking visibility, her boots sunk into the mud and she feared the sucking sound they made as she pulled them out indicated her whereabouts as loudly as a foghorn. And if that didn’t the noise of her thumping heart or her ragged breath surely would. Or maybe the scent of fear itself that surely radiated from her every pore would lead the monster to her.
With each step she took she prayed. She prayed that the Father God would forgive her sins. She prayed for the sight of the town’s lamps burning through the fog. She prayed she would make it through the night.
As the way became harder to pass and fright seemed to steal her mind completely, warm tears trickled from her eyes, the salt water leaving tracks in the icy mist that caressed her face. She tried to stifle the sobs she felt rising in her chest as each step became more difficult to take. A glimmer in the fog gave her hope, the town was nearer than she’d dared dream. Then all hope died.
As the rasping behind her grew suddenly louder, nearer, a shape appeared in front of her. Lora knew then she had a choice to make. Death by the creature gaining behind her, or by the knife of the man standing before her.
Her prayers of forgiveness grew more frantic as she sank to her knees in the water logged mud. Cold slime slipped over her legs and through her skirts as she prayed for her soul. Then, with her last rational thought she prayed that the end be quick.

NaNowriMo

2010-11-03T06:30:00.002Z

Life has been hectic. I've just finished an NVQ level 2 in Assisting Teaching and Learning and seem to spend every spare second at the primary school! And now I'm NaNoing. I need more hours in the day!Meter Preview:

3942 / 50000
(7.88%)

Fabulous Review!!

2010-01-22T15:34:00.002Z

Vulpes Libris review of Awakening of the Dream Riders by L. L. Mangoro, which is available to order now!!

Check it out......

2010-01-12T13:58:00.007Z

The 8th of September last year....that was when I last posted, I am a terrible blogger!! And now I am simply blogging so I can put the link to the video trailer for The Awakening of the Dream Riders. If it wasn't such a good read and worth it I would feel guilty about abandoning my blog for so long and then using for advertising purposes only. But it is a fab read and definitely worth checking out so I don't feel too bad.....

I have a temporary job at the primary school which I am loving, and in the middle of planning our extension so I really haven't done much on the writing front, life has kind of got in the way at the moment. I'm still going to keep writing though, so you haven't heard the last of my romantic efforts just yet. So, er, watch this space. And please check out the trailer......

The Awakening of the Dream Riders by Lynda Louise Mangoro - website and Guest Blogger.

2009-09-08T09:33:00.010+01:00

Click the link for the website for The Awakening of the Dream Riders. Go and have a peek, it's fabulous! (And yes to the more observant of you the girl at the back of the picture has changed, Crystal is, well more Crystal like now!!)

I have a guest blogger today, author of The Awakening of the Dream Riders (as well as cover designer and website designer!) & my sister Lynda Louise Mangoro. Welcome to Lori's blog Lynda....

I must start by saying thank you to Lori for being a wonderfully supportive big sis! I would never have got this far with writing the book if it wasn't for her encouragement and expertise. Like Lori, I am a bookworm, and have always had the urge to write. In fact, I thought it was normal to want to write books, I thought it was something everyone wanted to do, but apparently not.

I have also always loved to draw, and in more recent years to design and create websites. I guess I'm an all round creative, and I'm lucky enough to be able to indulge all my passions as a freelance web developer and illustrator. And now finally as an author too!

Awakening of the Dream Riders is a story that I have been writing in my head for the last three years, and on the computer for about a year. The book is now in the final stages of editing and will be published soon. It's an adventure novel for young adults - aimed at 12+ readers. There are some character fact files on the website, and soon to be added are some games too. Here's the blurb:

On a quiet suburban street in a typical English sea-side town, Kyra Sutton makes an extraordinary discovery, a discovery that at first promises thrills and excitement but will soon prove to test the schoolgirl and her friends to the extreme, a discovery that will change the course of their lives forever.

Thanks for bearing with me, and thanks again to Lori for lending me her blog!

No problem Lynda, I truly love Dream Riders and it's been an honour to be the first to read it!

The Awakening of the Dream Riders by Lynda Louise Mangoro

2009-09-05T15:27:00.009+01:00

Awakening of the Dream Riders - a young adult fantasy novel. On a quiet suburban street in a typical English sea-side town, Kyra Sutton makes an extraordinary discovery, a discovery that at first promises thrills and excitement but will soon prove to test the schoolgirl and her friends to the extreme, a discovery that will change the course of their lives forever.

This is my sister's new book, soon to be published. I have been very privileged to be able to read it as she's been writing and I can honestly say I have really enjoyed it. I will leave the picture with you (it's sickening but she designed the cover herself too!) and will get her to pop over here and tell you about her inspiration and motivation.

Congratulations!!

2009-08-27T16:35:00.004+01:00

Image by jasonEscapist via Flickr

Congratulations to my neices and nephew who all had fabulous GCSE results. Tons of A* and A's between them. Well done you guys, have a great weekend celebrating!!

On a similar note I was also pleased as I have passed all my bookkeeping assignments and the level 2 mock exam, just the real thing to go now! I hope that I've got just a few of the brain cells Jodie, Tiffanie and Tom inherited!!

Vampire v superhero!

2009-08-19T19:39:00.013+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

So who is the ultimate non-human hero type? Vampires - the one turned good who have to fight their natural evil instincts? Superheros? 'Normal' people who've acquired super powers? Let me know what you think?

Okay you've got me - I only wrote this post so I could post pictures of gorgeous men!! The darn post was an attempt at some credibility....

Legend of the Seeker, toothache and points of view (no, not the tv programme...)

2009-08-14T10:03:00.004+01:00

Image by m3651048 via Flickr

Well I haven't blogged this week and the terrible truth is I haven't written either! Okay, in the great big scheme of things it's perhaps not that terrible but this story is banging away in my head wanting to get out. Unfortunately I've spent most of my time trying to get my head round my last bookkeeping assignment and I've really struggled with it. I've finally handed it in and hope it is right!! If it is then I've got 2 mock exams to get done by Sept 1st if I want to be able to sit my exam in October. If not then I'll have to wait until February:-( So fingers crossed for me everyone please!!

I've also had pretty bad toothache and finally made an appointment yesterday to see my dentist and came away with antibiotics, strong painkillers and an appointment for a root canal treatment.....

On the plus side although the wonderful Dollhouse series (by Joss Whedon) finished this week on sci-fi a new series Legend of the Seeker started. I thought I'd catch it instead of writing yesterday as I was feeling pretty frazzled by coursework and toothache and was excited to realise it is the story from the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, books I read many years ago and fell in love with. So I'm really looking forward to catching all of this series.

On a writerly note I have been thinking about writing, even though I haven't actually been doing much of it. In particular POV (point of view). Now I write in the third person, and mainly from the protagonists POV and occasionally from the hero's. This time though I'm starting to love Alice's brother and was wondering about adding in his and his fiances POV.
But although I love him and he's weaving his way into the story more than I'd planned I don't want him to take over, so after much deliberation I think I'm probably going to try and stick to just the two. Maybe. Hopefully.....

So what I want to know is, what is your opinion on points of view? What works for you as a reader and what doesn't? Comments below please!

My ass was beaten off in the end of day word count...

2009-08-04T08:06:00.008+01:00

Well I stopped at a word count of 1,091 last night. I was rather pleased with this, then I chatted to my sister Lynda Mangoro and realised this was nothing. Her fingers were on fire yesterday and she managed a whooping 3,000 words of her young adult fantasy novel The Awakening of the Dream Riders.
I've been privileged enough to read this novel as it progresses and it is fantastic - yes I know I am biased, she is my sister, but we are also writing buddies and are, I think, honest with each other. For more information on my talented sister click here or here. And yes she is the one who designed the cover for Finding Alex! (Not my other amazing sister who's own fingers are starting to get the writing itch...)

Well that's enough about the family! After reading Liz Fenwicks post at her blogspot and the novel racers blogspot I've shamelessly stolen her idea of putting my first paragraph of my WiP out there for y'all to comment on. Feel free to be critical...or complimentary...I'm quite thick skinned really!!

With shaking hands Alice dialled 999. The calm voice that answered slowed her beating heart a little; help wouldn’t be long now. In hushed tones she said, ‘I need the police, someone’s breaking into my house.’
‘Can I have your address please?’ the operator asked. As she whispered it Alice crawled across the living room floor to try and look out the window. Not an easy task when all you’re wearing is a bath towel, a face mask and a nourishing conditioner.

Blakeney and a great weekend - again!

2009-08-03T14:26:00.006+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Well we had a wonderful day yesterday at Blakeney. Although it is a little further round the coast from us than our nearest beach Hunstanton, we think it a beautiful place and perfect for the children (and we can take the dog so don't have to worry about leaving him at home alone all day!) Parts of the town I believe date back to the fourteenth century and there are trips out to Blakeney point, a spit of sand that has a seal colony. A trip we've yet to take but will definitely be top of our 'to do' list when the children are older.
Blakeney harbour is only big enough for smaller boats these days but is a great place to take children crabbing and the shallow inlet of water is great for paddling and exploring, especially if like us you have younger children. I wish I'd taken my camera because it really was a fantastic day.
Even moreso for the fact that the dog - who would previously quake at the sight of a puddle - found his inner wolf and took to the sea. Once he was in there was no stopping him and I watched quite happily from the side while Big G, the children and super dog all paddled up and down and generally got soaked. I wasn't wimping out either because I'd braved the water last week at Worthing, and that beach is always pebbly and was absolutely covered in slimy seaweed. Not quite sure why, apparently it's happened before, and it unfortunately didn't put the children off so in I went with them. I ended up with sodden jeans and had to walk back to my sister Lynda's house like it. They must have weighed double to what they had when we set out, so see it really was Big G's turn!
Besides I was 'working' - or as normal people call it eavesdropping! Different families with children of varying ages made for some great conversations stored away for future reference, but the best was a couple, in their early twenties who were obviously in the early stages of their relationship. Both were quite tarted up and he'd been showing off, peacock like, in and around the boats shored there. Then they came to the waters edge and she went for a paddle, telling him - loudly and frequently -, how when she goes to the beach she always has to dip her toes in the water. It really got me thinking about how different people are on first dates and how some people have to flirt and simper. I did feel like marching up to the girl and saying he's already here, he wouldn't be if he didn't want to be, don't be such a Barbie! But to be honest, it was too good to ignore. Besides I vaguely remember the days when flirting was an art I'd mastered. Never was a simperer though!! :D Anyway simpering girl has certainly made it into my 'for future reference' files.

And a quick thank you to all those have supported Steven and Ivan and William, it has been overwhelming the support they have had. Hopefully the media has got fed up now and will leave them to get on with their lives.

A new life and 'friends'.

2009-07-30T09:38:00.005+01:00

This week has been a hard week for our family. I mentioned in my last blog post what a wonderful weekend I had with my family, and how it was great to have my first cuddle with my new nephew. It is all true but since the weekend a ‘friend’ decided that money was more important than friendship. My new nephew is the much talked about William, fathered by Steven and Ivan and able to be part of our family by the selflessness and generousness of my sister Lorna.
William is so loved and such a wonderful baby. He has the two best parents a child could ever hope for, a wide network of family and friends and is going to miss out on nothing. I have no problem with a healthy discussion on the topics raised by Williams’s birth; I do have a problem though with a family missing out on those precious new weeks with their child because it makes for a good headline.
The Sun who first reported the story have written a lovely piece and Steven and Ivan and Lorna have had a lot of support, Jamie Pyatt the reporter has been (mostly!) accurate and has written sensitively and is after all just doing his job. There is a reason I don’t usually buy or read newspapers. But I divert, the friend who felt he/she had to contact the newspapers in the first place just opened up a whole can of worms. A story like this is always going to attract bigoted idiots who feel it is their right to make uninformed and often ridiculous comments on subjects like this. And the report in the paper today is frankly a load of b*** **** - not from the reporter but the source.
My family know they have my support, I love all of them dearly and I know that William is going to have the best upbringing a child could hope for. I wish them all the best and the strength to get through these next few weeks. And just for the record all information has come from third parties, Steven, Lorna and Ivan (or any family as far as I’m aware) have no wish to give interviews, or be on TV. They have received no money for the ‘story’. This is about the start of a new and wanted family, a thing that most of us are lucky enough to take for granted and not a thing to do with money.

Anyone who wants to add messages of support, I will pass them on straight away

A weekend south and aunty Glitter!

2009-07-29T09:33:00.005+01:00

The Gang (minus our newest arrival)
I had a wonderful weekend visiting my family, seeing my brother and sisters, mum and all my nieces and nephews. Had my first cuddle with my newest nephew - who is gorgeous and doesn't seem to realise that a baby's job is to tire his parents out by crying half the night, being unsettled during the day and just generally making life confused! My two knew this, but he's making life easy for his parents, lucky sods!! We went for a fabulous walk and meal in the new forest, definitely material stored away for future use, the ponies that live there are wonderful.
Then we moved east a bit and my next youngest nephew gave me a new character for A Fair Cop. He's two and a complete darling, uber cute and full of kisses and cuddles. Especially for aunty Lorraine and aunty Glitter.
Yep that's right Big G is called aunty Glitter by him! It did start off as uncle Glitter (I think the Glitter was the closest he's heard to Glynn before!) but with so many aunties around it some how turned to aunty Glitter. Now who could not hear that name and resist making the character to fit? As Alice works voluntarily at a dog shelter I've a feeling that aunty Glitter - in full drag - is either going to be a regular dog walker or come in looking for a dog or something. Not quite sure yet but I do know that little O is going to be character consultant on all future Lori x books!
I love my family they are all super great. And there's not a boring one among them!!

Character v Plot, Vampires and winning!

2009-07-22T13:00:00.010+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

There is some fantastic advise from Amanda Grange on the RNA website. Paraphrasing she's saying that if you get to a sticky patch in your writing and don't quite know where to go with it, don't start rearranging the plot but think 'what would the character do.'
I think this is wonderful advice and in future as well as scrawling SdT (show don't tell) across the top of my notes I'll also be adding What would your character do?
Also Amanda's new book Mr Darcy, Vampyre is out next month - it combines Mr Darcy and well er Vampires! Two of my favourite things! - In fiction that is, not quite sure how I'd react if I met either in the flesh! Obviously as it's um, unlikely, to happen I shan't be worrying about it anytime soon!
I was also chuffed to find out I had won the 'match the shoe to the author competition' on the RNA site, so I'm waiting to find out which book I'll be getting. I love winning books, I'm very easy to please!!

Words, words, words!

2009-07-21T20:54:00.001+01:00

I've managed 513 words but keep getting interrupted so I'm giving it up as a bad job tonight! Why is it scenes you think are gonna be short and easy to write evolve beyond recognition? And take double the amount of words???

Watstock and Writing.

2009-07-20T14:20:00.008+01:00

Image by © dabawenya © (mtng. w/ the half-blooded prince) via Flickr

The Watstock festival this weekend seemed to be a success judging from the crowds that were up there. We managed to pay a couple of visits and I was really proud to live in a village with such a great community.
Although - due to the draw of the bands and the beer tent - there was a lot of the expected age range there, there were also an equally large number of families, and ages ranged from the very young to those in the later years of life. And it looked like everyone was having fun so well done to the organisers I know it takes a lot of hard work to do these things!
It was my youngests last day at pre-school on Friday and his sports day and yes I did blub like a baby. After being quite involved with the pre-school for the last 3 or 4 years it really felt like the end of an era. If I hadn't been on the committee I would never have known what a hard job both staff and the (voluntary) committee do. It isn't just a case of turning up to play, a lot of hard work goes into each and every session to ensure that each child is given the best care possible for them.
I know I'll see most of the staff again as many have children at the school - hey I live in a relatively small village it's not a case of strangers here! - but it still felt very sad to me. Thankfully I wasn't the only one blubbing, staff and other parents (OK mum's) were too, just goes to show how much those early years count. And how quickly they go passed!
Okay now onto writing. I'm coming along with A Fair Cop. Hero and heroine have met - though they don't know this yet! I've sketched out the main points, the physical journey is mostly there, the emotional one is getting there. I keep my pad handy and jot down ideas and how they fit in as they come to me. I'm finding as I drift off to sleep that I realise how to solve a plot problem - I then just hope I can remember it in the morning! Does anyone else have escaping ideas and ways of stopping them escape?
Well I've managed to fit in 400 words this afternoon and so I'm going to tackle the ironing now, then maybe a game with the children - who are being remarkably good at the moment...

And the winner is....

2009-07-13T13:45:00.002+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Well I, aided by a very peanut buttered covered son and an old shoe box, have pulled the name for the winner of the Finding Alex competition. All in there were ten entries (and being the kind person I am I included Dallas - who forgot to answer the question, and one other who I know does not know her way round a computer!)
And I am delighted to announce the winner is....Maddie! Well done Maddie. Please e-mail me pglicp@gmail.com with your contact details and I will get the book to you asap!
So thank you to every one who entered don't forget if you want to have a read it is available on Lulu as a paperback or a download.
Also many thanks to my helpful little man who is now pulling the names out the box, giggling like mad and giving them silly names...I didn't catch who was 'underpants' but you get the drift!

Also before I go congratulations to my little bro' on the birth of his son, can't wait to meet my new nephew, love and hugs to you all!

Watstock 2009

2009-07-10T12:01:00.005+01:00

Check out the link to information about Watstock '09. Debuted last year it was such a hit that the organisers have made it bigger and better this year.
A free event the weekend has live music throughout as well as stalls etc and promises to be a huge success. There is also camping facilities for those who want to catch the later acts or catch the whole weekend.
All money raised is going to local charities in particular the pre-school relocation fund. Who says being in a quiet Norfolk village is boring?
We have a train link from King's Cross, and Cambridge directly to the Watlington village so if you like your music have a look at the link and maybe I'll see you there!

Don't forget the competition two entries below for the chance to win a copy of Finding Alex.

'Ello, 'ello, 'ello.......

2009-07-09T10:19:00.006+01:00

Very proud big sister moment! This is my brother at his Attestation as he joins the Hamphire police force. Well done Steven! Watch out crooks!

Don't forget the competition in the entry below for the chance to win a copy of Finding Alex.

Competition and exam.

2009-07-08T14:05:00.011+01:00

Okay, as promised Finding Alex is now available from Lulu. And also as promised here is a competition to win a signed copy. Go on, what have you got to lose? If you like it all's good, if you don't nothing lost!
The question is: What is the name of Claire's fledgling business?
A) Claire's Garden Scapes
B) Cartright Gardens
C) Carters Garden Designs?

If you post your answer to the comments page I will randomly pick a winner next Monday - the 13th!
If you need a clue read here and it should help you out. Good luck!

Also well done to my little bro' who passed his exams for the specials police and has his Attestation this evening - very proud of you Steve!

And also to my mum who has (as a mature student) just got a 2:1 BA in her degree - which I can never remember the name of! Social Health care or similar. Good on you mum, I wish I had some of your brain power!

Oh and one more bit of good news, I passed my first exam for my bookkeeping course! A glass of wine later me thinks!

Happy, happy!

2009-07-07T13:08:00.005+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

A very exciting day for me today, when the post arrived so did my copy of Finding Alex. As an actual book, that I could pick up and read. I am sooooo excited. Have given up studying for the day and have started reading instead.
Now this is the practice version as such, just to check that it's all okay and so far I have noticed just a couple of minor things that need changing. So by tomorrow it will be available on Lulu for anyone who would like to buy a copy. It will be available as either a download version or as a proper book. I will put in a link tomorrow and also run a competition if anyone wants to win a copy.

On another note, I was very pleased with my daughters first ever school report. Apart from needing to practice her handwriting (she's five, I'm not too worried yet!) everything was very positive. Her teacher started by saying she has a very mature head on her young shoulders. That she has amazing general knowledge and is able to talk about just about anything. And the one other comment that made me particularly proud was that she had a good circle of friends, that she was sensitive to the needs of others but wouldn't suffer fools. How cool is that at five? (I'm still learning how not to be taken for a fool and I'm 33! :)
So well done to my best girl, I'm always so proud of you x

Gene Hunt and misbehaving heroines...

2009-07-03T11:17:00.012+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Gene Hunt - now there's a copper I'd like on my side...not telling you which side though!

Absolutely no reason for this picture other than yum!

Having a struggle moving passed writing the first scene of A Fair Cop. I've got the planning of the book all done. I know - more or less - what's going to happen when, and I know the logistics of the first scene. But I'm not sure about how my hero & heroine should react to each other. They're meeting in awkward circumstances (he's trying to arrest her brother, she's wearing a face pack and towel) and for some reason she just wants to laugh! Mainly cos she's managed to get her brother arrested. At some point though she's gotta get a good look at hero and realise he's the one.
Now I'm pretty sure that if I was stuck outside in a towel wearing a face pack laughing would be the last thing on my mind! So how do I get it right? In Finding Alex, Claire was very similar to me, I knew her inside out, I suspect Alice is going to be a little more awkward!
I think I'm just gonna skip the end of this chapter and proceed with the rest of the book, maybe as more of the story unfolds it'll become more obvious to me how to solve this dilema.
Do any of you have any characters that misbehave? How do you solve it?
Seems odd doesn't it, a person from your own imaginings not doing what you want!

How lucky I am.

2009-07-01T13:02:00.007+01:00

Image by MaestroBen via Flickr

Sometimes it's easy to forget how lucky I am. And sometimes it is the little things that remind me.
I hate the humidity and heat of summer. I love the sunshine, I love it when it is warm but when it is like this I hate it. So I've spent all week moaning about how it's too hot, I can't sleep etc etc (Usually to big G who bless him is a welder and suffering MUCH more than me).
Then today my son and I walked up to the village shop and it is at this time of year that the millenium green in our small Norfolk village looks its best. A mass of tall grasses and wild flowers - that I'm ashamed to say I don't know the names of - it is beautiful.
The grass waves gently in the summer breeze, my little one runs in and out of it along mown paths, the birds sing and the sun shines down. What have I got to complain about? Zilch, zero, zip. So I shall try not to and remember how lucky I am. And if I forget I'll nip out my door, take the 30 second walk to the green and remind myself once more.

Oh and happy birthday big G, I love you!

Finding Alex - The Blurb.

2009-06-30T12:27:00.001+01:00

Image by Camera Slayer via Flickr

Claire Carter’s starting her new life in the country.
She’s found the perfect bungalow in the perfect village with the perfect idea for the perfect business.
The catch?
In order to keep everything perfect she needs the business idea to become a reality or she can say goodbye to her new life. Borrowing money from a wealthy ex seemed like a good idea at the time, but just as she manages to win a great contract and it seems Carters Garden Designs is up and running vandals strike and it seems that her precarious financial situation is being pushed to the limits.
To make matters worse her affairs of the heart are no straight forward matter either. Ben, one of very best friends is as reliable as ever, always there when Claire needs him. And her best friend Hayley insists there is more to the relationship than the friendship Ben and Claire claim to have. Tall gorgeous Joe, the local Jack the lad, seems to be paying special attention to Claire and she’s flattered, less than twenty-four hours in the village and he’s already flirting with her – could he be the one to complete her perfect new life?
As time goes on it seems that someone is out to ruin Claire’s life, the business is being attacked and her love life is getting complicated. Will her perfect life work out or will she have to leave it all behind and return home with her tail between her legs?

Is this a gorgeous cover or what?

2009-06-29T16:39:00.005+01:00

This is the beautiful cover my talented sister, Lynda Mangoro, has designed for me. I know it's just for me and friends, family - and anyone else who would like to have a read - and it's not going mass market (well Lulu and maybe Amazon) but I'm so excited! And with a cover like this I would definitely have to pick it up and have a look! Biased moi? I'll let you all know when I've finally got some printed copies!

Lessons in the art of bouquet catching...

2009-06-28T08:22:00.006+01:00

Image by TangoPango via Flickr

Okay so now my mind is firmly stuck on weddings. Dave and Lisa's gorgeous setting has made it into A Fair Cop, well it will do when I get to that part.
I watched Made of Honour last night (I was allowed, Big G was doing his man stuff at the stock cars)so of course more weddings.
I drifted back to my own wedding seven years ago (I won't ramble on but it was very romantic, just me and Big G in Austria, in January - think horse pulled sleigh and photo's on a frozen lake and yep you've got it!)
So when I got to bed and was thinking about how all the threads of A Fair Cop would work, my mind started drifting to, well, weddings in general and then the catching of the bridal bouquet.
Now if I could claim to be an expert in anything, sadly it is this. I caught the bridal bouquet three times before I got married(basically the three weddings I went to as an adult, I sit out now obviously!) Bear in mind that I am useless at anything remotely sporty and couldn't catch a well aimed ball. That bouquet though, I wanted my wedding so I was darn well gonna catch it.
The point is, being the kind and generous person I am, I thought I would pass on these tips to y'all. Here goes...
1. Stand in the right place, slightly (only slightly) to the right of the bride. And somewhere near the front.
2. As the bouquet comes over grab it with the best hold you can. AND DO NOT LET GO; There will be pulling, tugging, other people claiming they've got it but you just need to hold on tight. That's it , that bouquet is yours.
N.B. Big G claims there were elbows involved in my first bouquet catch, but this is not true, it is a wholly unsubstantiated rumour!

Weddings, writing and doing it yourself.

2009-06-27T19:22:00.004+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Congratulations to Dave & Lisa who got married yesterday. You both looked gorgeous, the photo's will be stunning (and I may well borrow the location for a future novel!) So well, just CONGRATULATIONS I guess...

Okay now down to the serious stuff, never mind the real life romance, what about the fictional world of romance where my mind seems to dally a lot. A Fair Cop is taking shape. I'm getting the ideas of the meetings between Will and Alice, a whisper of the storyline and so now it's just down to the actual writing and the stringing it together.
Now Finding Alex, I have decided with this novel to self publish on Lulu. I hear all those tuts, and I agree - self publishing not the best route to take, but let me explain myself.
Firstly Lulu isn't like most other self/vanity publishers, once you've made the book Lulu put a price on it for how much it will cost to make etc, then you decide how much you want to sell the book for and the difference is yours. And it only prints as it is required so there is no up front fee. Check out the link.
Secondly I had some positive feedback for Finding Alex, it's my first novel and many, many authors have their first, second and even more attempts sitting in a drawer, the only difference is I'd quite like to have it as a copy on my book shelf, in proper book format.
Thirdly, I'm ready to put this novel to rest now, I'm not looking for it to be a big money maker but it would be great to give copies to friends etc and say - hey I did that. Okay I'm not Katie Fforde, Jan Jones, Christina Jones or Phillipa Ashley but I wrote that book. By myself. From start to finish. And maybe I'm just a little bit proud of it...
So that's my thinking and that's the way I'm going with it, besides my very talented sister Lynda Mangoro has done a fabulous cover for it, if I went in a shop I would certainly look at the book because of the cover and I can't let a cover like that go to waste now can I?
When I actually get it done, then I'll post about it and maybe even have a couple of copies to give away...who knows maybe I could do a 'you get a free book, just give me your comments on it (good or bad)' type thing.
Well I'd better go, I've got lots of writing to do and I'm going to ignore the urge to write about a summer lakeside wedding, with a beautiful blond heroine, and a tall gorgeous hero - darn you Dave and Lisa...

Quote

2009-06-21T08:12:00.004+01:00

Image by vidalia_11 via Flickr

The artist doesn't have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don't have the time to read reviews.
- William Faulkner

Geese and Girly Mornings.

2009-06-20T14:41:00.005+01:00

Image by djking via Flickr

Just on my way back from a girly morning with my daughter, you know the type, haircut, clothes shopping, a stop in Boots for some nail varnish. She's five bless her, we were shopping for stuff for her but she wanted me to get something too, so of course I had to oblige! (I wasn't being totally spend happy though as I do have a wedding reception to go to next weekend and I only bought a top.)
Any way on the way back we had to stop as a gaggle of geese crossed the road in front of us. It's at times like this that I truly understand why I love Norfolk and am a country girl at heart. The first three popped out from under the hedge, on their way from the lake to the field on the other side of the road. Missy and I were laughing at how cute they looked as they waddled across the road. Then, in a line another 10 or 11 came following. What a sight - a queue of Canadian geese, young and old crossing the road. It warmed the cockles of my heart! (well I'm sure it would have done, if I knew what they were...)
Now this does have a writerly note to it because when I got home and was telling big G about it, he done his concerned thing about it being a dangerous to stop, it wasn't far enough from the corner etc (I disagree and am a naturally over cautious driver anyway) but his comment instantly struck me as potential storyline material. After all Alice does keep meeting Will in the most awkward circumstances and he is a policeman, maybe her car did get hit while watching the goose parade....I will be pondering this more!
Any wild life stories of yours made it into your writing?

Exams...and storylines.

2009-06-19T21:28:00.005+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Just finished exam 1 for my bookkeeping course...scary stuff! Now I've got my characters (and hopefully a little time to do some writing!) I've got to decide on the storyline.
Some of it is already there, he's a policeman so that gives me plenty of ideas to follow up. It's set in one of the villages near 'Lower Bridge' where Finding Alex was set, so that means that village life is involved and the character of the village. Obviously it'll have a happy ending (hope that didn't give too much away!)
BUT - how does it go from their first crazy meeting to them becoming an item? Are either of them already involved in a relationship? What challenges come their way before the happy ever after?
It's time for me to have some quiet time. Just me, a pen, some paper and the thoughts in my head...daydreaming, moi?
Of course this is easier said than done in a house dominated by two noisy children, a dog, cats and of course Big G, my DH. I will find a bit of quiet though and I will weasel the story out of Alice and Will...just you see!

Where do those ideas come from?

2009-06-18T10:00:00.005+01:00

Image by Jon Whitton via Flickr

Okay so I'm going with the red hair for my new hero. I can picture him so perfectly that I doubt I'd be able to change him anyway. I'm just at the very beginnings of my novel, the working it all out stage and I wondered how do people get their ideas?
I tend to just be doing something mundane when a scrap of dialogue, the person saying the dialogue and the situation they're in at that moment pop into my head. I usually scribble it down somewhere straight away.
Then I have to know the main two characters names and descriptions, the two main secondary characters names and descriptions and the title of the book. And from there I figure out the storyline and what it is that thee people are actually trying to let me know.
How do you do it?
By the way the new novel is called A Fair Cop...any ideas what my tall, strong red headed hero does?

Alpha male, dark, blond....red?

2009-06-16T09:30:00.004+01:00

Is it possible for a hero to be a red head? Personally I have nothing against red hair, find it quite attractive myself.
There are often Titian temptresses, with flowing red locks. Your typical alpha male however is tall dark and handsome, maybe blond, tanned and sporty but not usually a red head.
Now I was known for my weakness for geeks (sorry G) so I'm asking y'all, is it possible or is red just geek? (Just for the record I don't think so!)

I'm back...

2009-04-06T09:00:00.005+01:00

I'm back! I've been computer less for a while now and my dear old Mac is now deceased, this weekend however we decided to buy my first ever brand new computer. So now I am back in the cyber world, back in the writing world, and only a little disorientated with having a PC instead of a Mac.
It's the Easter break so how much I'll get done with the children here who knows, but hey it's great to not rush off to school in the morning and actually spend time with them.
We had a consultation with an ENT surgeon a couple of weeks ago about my son's frequently recurring tonsillitis (it feels as though he constantly has it, I could cry for him sometimes). As so many people had told me they'd been referred with their children only to be told 'they'll grow out of it', I went armed with information from the pre-school regarding the time he has had off, info from the GP's about how many bouts he has had, (I'm sure I could have rung the penicillin manufacturers to find out what percentage of shares we own through the amount of the stuff he has had....) However one look in his mouth and the Dr agreed he needed them out. I really don't want him to have an operation but he cannot go on like he is and I had mine out so I know what to expect for him, we've just got to wait for a date now!
Since I've not been able to get online or to write I've finally (after 6 years, give or take) got around to attempting to sort out my front garden. This requires lots of removal of dead bushes, roots, more roots, nettles, ivy, brambles and, did I mention roots? The funny thing is I'm actually really enjoying it. Those of you who know me know I'm more of a cuppa and a book gal than a get out and exercise gal (lazy moi?) so you can imagine how surprised I was to find I enjoyed it, but there you go - 32 and still finding out stuff about myself!
Well the natives are getting restless so I'd better go, but wow it's great to be back online.....

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2009!

2008-12-22T14:03:00.002Z

I've been a bad blogger recently and this will only get worse during the Christmas holidays so I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and I'll be back in 2009.

Happy Birthday, Dr's and Missing Dad.

2008-11-28T10:03:00.003Z

Well it's been a while since I blogged, mainly because we're in the middle of our annual ill before Christmas period! DH is poorly but bravely going to work, and the children well daughter dearest had an ear infection which was mostly cleared up when she came down with conjunctivitis in one eye, this was starting to look better when last night her temperature went up and as soon as the Calpol wears off it goes shooting up again. And number one son had a viral throat infection which has evolved into full blown tonsillitis and he is pretty poorly with it. Needless to say (as those of you with children will undoubtedly understand) sleep is a dim and distant memory. As is going out of the house (except for our three trips to the Dr's in under a week) and I'm having to keep a note of who has had what medication when - 2 x Calpol, 2 x Nurofen, anti-biotic ear spray, eye drops and the grossest Penicillin medicine that has to be taken 4 x a day on an empty stomach - I'm sure some hospital wards are dealing out less medication than we are!
Then of course the sleep deprived brain starts getting paranoid about the amount of meds they are having, whether the temperature is the sign of something more ominous. All logic goes out the window when you contemplate a fourth trip to the GP's (the receptionists are probably being trained to hang up on us as I type, the poor overworked Dr's really not needing to see another over-anxious Mum and the usual seasonal ills). Still despite it all the bright side is that I've had a lovely week at home with the children instead of the usual school and pre-school run and that's got to be worth a little less sleep, hasn't it?
The last time I managed to get out was to the EA chapter meeting of the RNA. It was a buffet and social event and thanks to Fenella Miller for her hard work in organising all the EA events, especially this one. It was lovely to meet up with other authors both published and not quite yet. Unfortunately I was coming down with the lurgy and though I didn't feel ill I felt, er well vague is the best way to describe it (yes vaguer than usual, hard to beat but true) and feel that instead of making intelligent comments, especially to the published authors who are all lovely and happy to pass on advice and information, I probably came across as a bit of an idiot. Oh well there's always next year!
I also recieved and devoured the latest Christina Jones novel Happy Birthday, it is just as perfect as all her others and I really urge anyone who hasn't tried her books to pick one up and give it ago. Along with Katie Fforde she is now my favourite author. I love feel good books, I occasionally venture to the more intense deeper novel but for me happy, funny and romantic mostly do the job! I also enjoyed Margaret McDonagh's book Dr Devereux's Proposal, talk about a dashing hero (it's the french accent, mmm mmm!)
I would like to wish my Mum happy 60th for yesterday. I unfortunately missed the party and celebrations at the weekend, the three hour trip from Norfolk to West Sussex just wasn't going to be made with 2 ill children in tow. I know that my sisters and brother worked really hard to ensure she had a good day and this included shopping for a special dress, a meal at her favourite restaurant, a surprise party which included a This Is Your Life style presentation, and a visit from Scotland from her best friend whom she saw last about 18 years ago! I'm glad it was a special day.
Sadly today is not such a happy one as it is the third anniversary of my dad's death. So Dad wherever you are rest peacefully and remember we all loved you.

I've Won - AGAIN!

2008-11-10T10:08:00.014Z

I've won - again! It's my lucky year as far as winning books is concerned as I've won the competition on the Christina Jones blogspot. This is great as this weekend I read three of her novels (Heaven Sent, Love Potions and Seeing Stars) and COULD NOT PUT THEM DOWN!
I loved them, Bucolic Frolics is how they are described and I now want to move to the fictional village of Fiddlesticks. I know, I promise I'm not losing the plot totally but they were wonderful and I would thoroughly recommend any of them to anyone who wants a feel good, get away from it all novel.
Another plus side (thanks to Christina's wonderful writing) is that I finally understand some of the comments I've had regarding Finding Alex. I've been told to bring the village in more, to bring it more to life and I really was struggling with how to do this (despite great advice - Steven!) After reading Christina's books I can see exactly how to do this and am really excited about getting writing again.
I've also come to a decision and, although tomorrow I will post about Ben the gorgeous hero in Finding Alex, I have actually decided to put this MS away for a while and concentrate on the next installment of the Lower Bridge comings and goings, A Gemini Thing (working title). I started this a while ago but it has been put on the back burner as I need to find out how a couple of inexperienced people with very little money would go about turning an abandoned blacksmiths into an artists retreat. Despite being rather addicted to property programmes I have no idea where they would start and particularly what the legal processes would be. So if anyone would like to offer up advice to me it will all be gratefully read!
I will try and be good about keeping my blog updated with my progress on AGT.

Books I've recently read.

2008-10-29T08:23:00.006Z

Well I've just read Hotly Bedded, Conveniently Wedded and Sold to the Highest Bidder both by Kate Hardy from the M&B Modern heat line. I really enjoyed them both. I'm not a huge Mills and Boon reader but I think Kate has a unique voice and is easy to read, I feel if I read another of her books I would know just from the style.
The hero's were both gorgeous (in actions and looks) and the heroines modern without being city chic, up to the minute modern, city girls. I loved the jobs they did and the passion they had for their careers. And the hero of HBCW was called Alex, obviously my favourite hero name (Finding Alex...) They really were two great reads and I would recommend them.

Another book that I just couldn't put down was by Alan Titchmarsh, Folly. It is the story of a young couple and the family feud that is the obstacle to their being together. The book divides itself between the present day and the couple's grandparents time together at Oxford. As the story unfolded I fell in love with all of the characters and will definitely be looking out for another Alan Titchmarsh novel. Because just like the man himself I don't think I could fail to adore them! (And shallow old me picked it up because I loved the snowy cover!)

Autumn Days

2008-10-28T08:18:00.005Z

It's half term at last and a beautiful frosty day outside just calling for a wonderful autumnal walk. As my son has a sponsored nature find to complete for his pre-school it will be a great day for hunting out conkers, red and yellow leaves and the such like. It will be nice to enjoy a day with the children and the back to basics of nature, remember that we are lucky people.
It is so easy to get caught up in all the doom and gloom that is around and as well as all the financial problems that are going on there just seems to be bad news all around at the moment. A friend is quite ill, a boy was nearly snatched from a local supermarket (he was found in the toilets having his head shaved and his clothes changed by two strangers), there have been reports of prowlers around several schools nearby...At times I feel it would be nice to herd the family inside lock the doors and shut the blinds. BUT life is to be lived, we are only here once and though I am probably considered to be an 'err on the side of caution' type of person even I know that to live worrying constantly about the bad things is not good. So later we will don our coats and enjoy October.

I promised that I would blog about Claire Carter, protagonist of Finding Alex. I've been so lax with writing recently that I haven't got around to it 'til now, so here it is...
Claire Carter has recently moved to Lower Bridge, the small Norfolk village where she only knows Ben Coolidge, one of her closest friends. She's left behind her best friend, family and cheating ex-boyfriend to move to the village she's fallen in love with, in order to stay though she needs to get her fledgling gardening business up and running otherwise her finances just won't cope.
Claire is quiet, generally errs on the side of caution, but is a hard worker and determined to succeed when she puts her mind to something. She makes friends quickly in the village and is flattered by the attentions of the gorgeous bad boy Joe. Someone though has it in for Claire and is determined to make her business fail, can she rely on Ben her one true friend in the village, should she be trusting Joe? And who is the mysterious Jordon?
And mostly will she realise who her heart belongs to before it is too late?

Great Interview

2008-10-17T16:27:00.003+01:00

Great interview with Catherine Jones AKA Kate Lace, chair person of the RNA. Click here! Or here to be entered into a draw to win a copy of The Movie Girl by Kate Lace an LBD publication. I haven't read The Movie Girl but have read The Chalet Girl by her and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Vandalism

2008-10-17T09:05:00.003+01:00

We are in, well shock is probably too strong a word to use but mild shock I suppose. My daughter's primary school has been vandalised overnight and is shut today. I know these things can happen anywhere but when you live in a small Norfolk village it really isn't news that you expect to wake up to. On a positive note I think the whole village knew before the clock had got anywhere near half past seven as the village jungle drums were well and truly working - a nice sign of a village community I thought!
Will post later about Claire.

A Bit of a Rant

2008-10-15T13:54:00.010+01:00

My five year old daughter started school in September and I send her with a packed lunch (mainly because, where my children are concerned, I'm a control freak and like to know what has been eaten in the day). Now I try to make sure I pack a relatively healthy lunchbox and it generally has sandwiches, cheese, fruit and a yoghurt of some sort.
Yesterday when I picked her up from school I was asked if I could find an alternative to yoghurt as my daughter has dropped it on the floor a couple of times this week. Now don't get me wrong, I don't for one second doubt that my daughter is capable of getting in a mess - I have lived with her for five years and neither of my children come into the 'stay clean and tidy' category. I am positively envious of parents who manage to get their children in the same clothes two or more days on the trot: at the end of every single day my two look like the perfect before shot in a washing powder advert. I do not feel however that this is enough reason to keep yoghurts out of her pack-up. I don't want to resort to crisps and chocolate and all the alternatives I could think of were also pretty messy. I know I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, I just feel that it was wrong being asked to leave it out, after all she is only (just) five and she will learn soon enough not to make a mess when she eats (hopefully) - especially with a little encouragement from home and school! Of course this is just my feeling and I could be totally in the wrong. Rant over!

On another note I've managed to finally get a little bit of my bookkeeping course done today, and am hoping to get a little bit of writing done later. I've been dreadfully neglecting both, especially as it's the time of year when loads of my favourite telly is on (Strictly Come Dancing, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Ugly Betty to name a few - what do you mean, Get A Life?)
I've also been reading loads, two book's I've read and enjoyed recently are The Paradise Will and Fair Deception.
The Paradise Will, is Elizabeth Hanbury's debut novel and is a wonderful regency romance full of all the bits you expect from a regency novel - a dashing hero, feisty heroine and a great love story. Fair Deception is the new novel by Jan Jones, again I couldn't put it down and Jan's obvious enjoyment of the theatre is apparent in it, I would absolutely recommend them both.
Well enough blogging and time for writing!

PS When I picked up daughter today her teacher said she had been much better with the yoghurt and they were more concerned for my washing pile than anything else, so I feel much calmer!

Congratulations

2008-10-08T10:05:00.002+01:00

Congratulations to fellow NWS writer Lucy Roberts who won the recent HMB Modern Heat competition. The prize is an editor for a year, so congratulations Lucy!

A Confession...

2008-10-07T16:12:00.006+01:00

I have a confession to make - I read chick-lit. And fantasy, sci-fi, crime, thrillers, and occasionally classics and literary novels. Apparently it isn’t embarrassing to admit to reading these though, just chick-lit and, well romance in general I guess. I was reading a guest blog that Phillipa Ashley had written regarding her writing, and followed the link that was principally about chick-lit covers.
The article itself was interesting basically saying that books of all kinds are getting the 'chick-lit' cover treatment as they sell better this way. It wasn't the article though but the many comments that followed that made me feel like I should be a member of CLA (chick-lit anonymous). Several of the comments contained the phrase 'I don't read chick-lit,' in that disparaging kind of way that means the comment writer's are far too intelligent/superior to pick up and read such a type of book.
Now don't get me wrong, I do not have a problem with people not liking the romance genre, I know that I for one have found very few spy novels that I enjoy, everyone likes something different. It was the way that it had to be clarified that they were not the kind of person who would lower themselves to do such a thing.
So I would like to walk to the front of the meeting, look at my fellow romance fans and confess, my name is Lorraine Powell and I read chick-lit...

I've Won!

2008-09-30T07:35:00.007+01:00

I've managed to win something! Over on Kate Hardy's blog she ran a caption competition for a copy of her book Hotly Bedded, Conveniently Wedded - I cannot wait to get stuck into it!
At the moment I've just finished Noblesse Oblige by Lynne Connolly and I could not put it down. I've also recently read A Country Mouse by Fennella Miller - again I really enjoyed it. They are both regency romances, a genre I've only just discovered after picking up a Georgette Heyer novel. I know...I thought it wouldn't be my cup of tea but I love them so if you've not fancied this genre before give it a whirl you never know you may surprise yourself! (I did).
I haven't done much writing recently, though I have attempted my bookkeeping course that I am lagging behind on - who wants to be learning about VAT when they could be writing romance? I've also re-volunteered to stay on the pre-school committee for another year despite swearing I was going to come off. Let's hope I don't regret it and get bogged down with too much stuff! Well I must get the children ready for school, next time I blog I will tell you all about Finding Alex's protagonist, Claire Carter...

PS despite missing the last 2 WW meetings and eating (I thought) my weight in doughnuts (well that may be a slight exaggeration!) I have managed to lose a pound. Now I have made it under the 14 stone mark so it reads 13 st x pounds on my weight card - isn't it strange how just seeing the next figure down can give you a boost?

Finding Alex Chapters 1-3

2008-09-19T13:56:00.007+01:00

Finding Alex - First 3 Chapters

Chapter One

Shivering slightly Claire lowered herself into the luke-warm bath water. Goose pimples sprang up down the length of her arms as she clasped them around her knees, clutching her hot chocolate like it was a lifeline. Half an hour, it appeared, was not long enough for the emersion to heat the tank of water, just one of many things Claire supposed she would have to get used to in her new home.
The hot chocolate burned a scalding path down her throat and for a minute Claire was under the illusion that she was warm. She took the opportunity to release her arms from their ironclad grip on her knees and swirled the flannel around in the suds. Washing quickly she managed to remove the worst of the dirt that had accumulated on her body that day and clambered quickly from the tub before her body refused to let her move from the relative warmth the water offered.
Her towel was big enough for three people and as it swamped over her body she could feel some warmth coming back and when she put the fluffy pink housecoat (that, according to her best friend Hayley, was a serious crime against fashion) on top she started to feel almost human again. I might look like the Michelin man but at least I’m not rapidly becoming an icicle, she thought.
She hadn’t had the courage to wash her hair – it flitted through her mind that it was a good thing she hadn’t any aspirations of an S.A.S career – but instead found a pale blue butterfly clip, (in the shape of a sea shell, a relic from the eighties), and clipped her hair back with it. Just as she’d slipped her feet into her slippers she heard a knock at the kitchen door. Feeling her heart thud in her chest she looked around for something to use as a weapon.
Her eyes rested on a can of air freshener that was on the top of the cistern where she’d left it after spraying the bungalow to rid it of it’s musty smell. As the second knock came followed by the sound of the door handle being tried she gripped the cold canister in her hand and walked purposely through to the kitchen.
The logical part of her knew that those who wished you ill didn’t knock first but the rest of her was too scared to believe it – besides who did she know that would be knocking on her back door? As she came into the kitchen she could just about make out her name being called along with the knocking and handle trying. Curiosity got the better of her and she unlocked the kitchen door. Turning the key and lowering the handle she raised the air freshener to eye level, if it was someone wanting to hurt her she’d be damned if they would be able to see her for long.
As the door swung open it took a second for her to register who was standing there. The sarcastic, ‘sorry I’ve got the wrong place I was looking for my friend Claire not the Michelin man,’ brought her right back to earth.
‘Ben, I wasn’t expecting you ‘til tomorrow!’
‘Yeah well I thought you might be hungry,’ he held up a bag full of tin foil packets.
‘I am ravenous!’ said Claire, ‘Chinese? My favourite!’ She lowered the air freshener onto the table and ignored his look that meant he was trying to think of another sarcastic comment to make about her weapon of choice. As he dumped the bags onto the table the shock of seeing him wore off and she ran around the table and gave him a huge hug.
‘I am so pleased to see you,’ she muffled into his jumper unable to breathe as his strong arms pulled her tight in an embrace. He smelt so good. It had been ages since Claire had seen Ben properly and she held him at arms length to appraise him. He looked just the same as always. Well nearly, he somehow seemed to have grown fully into his dark good looks and lost the cheeky boy image he had cultivated at University. His jeans and checked shirt were worn but clean, showing off muscles that obviously hadn’t come from being in the gym but actual hard labour.
Ben wiggled out of her grasp obviously embarrassed about being scrutinised so closely.
‘Put the kettle on Claire and stop looking at me like my Nan does every year at Christmas, just before she tells me how big I’m getting and gives me a quid for some sweets,’ he ordered. Claire laughed until she realised how awful she must look - wrapped up in her unflattering housecoat, grubby hair pulled back haphazardly. ‘Oh god,’ she shrieked, ‘kitchen’s that way Ben, I’m just going to get dressed,’ before darting back off to the bedroom.
Pulling on jeans and an old t-shirt she went to brush her teeth and grimaced at her reflection in the mirror. Still there wasn’t time to worry about make-up and her hair would just have to do pulled back into a high ponytail, not an Oscar look but better than ten minutes ago. It wasn’t as if Ben hadn’t seen her looking worse she told herself as she pulled her shoulder length brown hair back and wrapped a plain hair band around it.
Smiling as she entered the kitchen Claire realised how nice it was to have Ben there.
‘Stop grinning and show me where the plates are I’m starving,’ ordered Ben.
‘Yes Sir!’ said Claire as she pulled the box off the side that she vaguely remembered putting the plates and cutlery in.
Once their plates were loaded they made they made their way through to the sitting room where Claire found a blanket to drape over their knees as they ate.
‘It’s freezing in here Claire, do you want me to see if I can get the fire going for you?’ Ben asked as the steam rose from the hot plates into the cold air.
‘No thanks, it’s a bit late to worry about that now, besides don’t you have to check the chimney’s been swept or something first?’ Claire replied remembering the one comment her Dad had made when she’d informed her parents of her move to Lower Bridge. Sidney Carter was a man of few words (he’d learnt to be after 35 years married to Glenda, they’d always reminded Claire of some 1970’s sitcom characters) but the few he did utter were generally of the best advice going.
‘Hmm you’re right it should be, I suppose I could light a bit of paper to see if smoke comes out the top of the chimney or back into the room...’
‘Seriously Ben don’t worry about it, we’ll keep warm under here and I’ll sort out a sweep tomorrow. How come you’re so late?’ she asked.
‘Just finished work, I was starving and I couldn’t wait to see you so I ordered the take away had a quick shower picked it up and 25 minutes later I’m all yours.’
‘Well it’s great to see you, even if you did nearly give me heart failure,’ said Claire as she squeezed his leg affectionately.

Chapter Two

Claire shifted position so she felt more comfortable and as Ben took the empty plates through to the kitchen she undid a button on her jeans. Her stomach practically sighed in relief at this offered space for it to expand into; this was the biggest meal she’d eaten in weeks. Pulling her jumper down to hide the undone button she smiled as Ben walked back into the room. Wow he certainly has got gorgeous, she thought as he lumped down on the settee beside her.
‘So what are your plans?’ Ben asked turning to look at her.
‘Well immediately, over the next few days to start to unpack obviously, then I start work at the nursing home in a fortnight, unfortunately it’s only part time. Most importantly though I’ve got to hand out leaflets to get ‘Carter’s Garden Designs’ up and running.’ Claire felt Ben shift on the seat and looked up to meet his gaze.
‘Are you still planning on doing that?’ Ben asked.
Tensing she replied, ‘Why shouldn’t I? Just because I’m here on my own - I think that gives me even more reason to try and set up my own business.’
‘I’m not saying it isn’t but I thought you needed Rob’s income to be able to do it.’
‘Sorry Ben,’ she sighed sagging back down letting the oversized cushions of the seat envelope her. ‘You’re the only one I’ve told other than Hayley of course, Mum and Dad weren’t keen on me moving in the first place and you know how formidable Mum can be - I think she would have physically forced me to stay with them if she knew what my plans were!’
‘I know but Claire you have to remember you’re twenty-seven I think you are allowed to make your own decisions now, it isn’t up to your Mum no matter how formidable she gets!’
‘I’ve got a bit of money to get me started and I’m hoping that I’ll get enough clients to sustain the business and well I’ll have my income from Bridge House too…’ Claire trailed of not wanting her face to give away how much being able to make this whole move financially viable was worrying her. Change the subject girl, she told herself; you know Ben has always been able to read you like a book.
‘So have you spoke to Rob at all then?’ she found herself asking.
That’s it, great topic to bring up, your ex-boyfriend. His best mate. Claire felt a give away heat in her face and knew her cheeks would be the colour of a sunset.
‘No I haven’t and after how he treated you I’m not sure I’m that eager to speak to him,’ Ben said quietly.
‘Ben he’s a git I know but he’s your best mate.’
‘I think the days when I could call him my best mate are long gone Claire. We were great at Uni but I grew up and he forgot to…’ He paused seeming to need to think about what to say. ‘I kept in touch because it kept the group together you, me Hayley, James…but I’ve not been interested in staying mates with Rob for a long while. Besides,’ he said his voice dropping so low that Claire had to strain to hear him, ‘he hasn’t looked after you like he should for a long time now I could hardly bare to see it at times…and yet I was to cowardly to say anything, I didn’t want to lose you as a friend, I didn’t want to destroy the group…’
Claire reached forward and clasped Ben’s hand. She placed her other hand under his chin, the roughness of it, of the stubble just present making him seem more real somehow.
‘It’s not your fault Ben. I knew it too; I was just too frightened to do anything about it. I didn’t want to break up the group either and I guess I practically invited him to walk all over me. It was all so…. so safe, I knew exactly who I was and who I was meant to be, who I was expected to be…’
‘But it wasn’t you was it Claire? I watched as the life was slowly sucked out of you, getting the job Rob and your Mum wanted you to have, going to places Rob deemed right for you to go to…’
‘No and it took Rob’s betrayal for me to realise that, when your fiancé thinks that staying at work to, well to have extra curricular activities with his secretary, is more important than visiting you in hospital well it’s a bit of a wake up call. To think if Hayley hadn’t gone to find him to tell him that my appendix had almost burst I would totally have believed his lies about a conference, what kind of fool am I? But it opened my eyes and now I am going to be who and what I want to be.’ Claire stopped as she ran out of breath, feeling as though she was reading a script from some ‘woman conquers all’ film.
They fell into an easy silence each lost in their own thoughts. Neither knowing what to say to each other, but both realising that they didn’t really need to say anything. A true friendship. Claire smiled to herself enjoying the feeling of his large hand wrapped around her little one, it made her feel secure, made her feel safe.
Rrribbit, rribbit.
Claire groaned at the sound of her mobile, she hoped it wasn’t her parents, that was a call she couldn’t cope with tonight. Fishing the ‘phone out of her pocket Claire looked at the caller I.D. Hayley; she must be ringing to say that she’d made it home.
‘Hi,’ Claire said.
‘Hi, I’m home and James has a wonderful lasagne waiting for me. I wish it was fifty years time when I’m sure we’ll be able to transport food and stuff down these ‘phone lines. If I could I would send you some cos it’s gotta be better than that pot noodle I left you with.’ Claire smiled used to her crazy friend.
‘I’m fine but thanks for the thought. Ben has popped round and kindly bought a wonderful Chinese take-away with him, I am so stuffed I don’t think I’ll need to eat for a week.’
‘Is Ben there now?’ Hayley asked, Claire confirmed he was and held the ‘phone away from her ear while Hayley shouted out her greeting to Ben. Smiling he returned the sentiments and then said his goodbyes to Claire.
‘I’ll be back in the morning,’ he said kissing her lightly on the cheek, ‘I won’t stay now - I know how long these calls last!’
‘See you,’ said Claire, ‘and thanks for the food and company, it’s been great seeing you again.’ She returned her attentions to Hayley’s jabbering on the ‘phone.

As the door shut gently behind him Ben resisted the urge to open it and go back and remind Claire to lock it. He crunched as quietly as he could over the gravel to where he’d parked his van a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. It was almost too good to be true; Claire was finally here, here in Lower Bridge. And what’s more, he thought as he scraped at the frost that had already formed lace like over his windscreen, she’s single.
Climbing in he started the engine and set the heater to full blast hoping it would have time to actually get hot before he got home. Reversing carefully round the front of the bungalow he pulled forward off the drive, the frost on the road sparkling as his headlights hit it. As he drove along the familiar roads he passed houses with warm amber lights glowing their windows, the occasional silhouettes showed families closed in for the evening. Blue light from televisions flickered, smoke curled from several chimneys and the ice in hedges and trees glistened. Ben knew he was biased, his heart was in this village, but who wouldn’t want to live here?
As he drove his mind drifted back to Claire and the mortification on her face when she’d realised she was in her oversized dressing gown. He smiled at what she was wearing, it was Claire to a T, she’d rushed off to change but to him she looked perfect – especially after not seeing her for so long.
‘Oh Ben, man, you’ve got it bad,’ he groaned to himself. After spending three years at Uni with Claire so achingly close and always with Rob in tow he realised that now he may have a chance with her. He could flirt. He could see how the land laid. ‘Or,’ he said quietly, ‘you could leave things as they are. Be Ben her friend. Be Ben who helps her out. Not take the risk of ruining things.’
He struck the indicator stalk and turned left down the narrow track where he lived. Pulling to a stop at the back of his drive he ignored the house, which he knew would be warm and cosy, and rubbing his hands together against the cold headed for his even colder disused garage. Sorting this place out was on his to do list but at the moment it was one big jumble of bags, boxes and disused furniture.
Reaching up he pulled at the cobweb covered light pull and the limited light that a 40-watt bulb allowed spread over the space. Standing for a moment Ben tried to remember where he had put the bag containing the chimney brushes. Eventually his eye spied the canvas bag he suspected they were in and, glad to be moving in the frigid air, he climbed over an upturned moth eaten velvet settee and manoeuvred round an old butler sink to it. Grabbing the bag he checked inside and after shutting up the garage he shoved it in the back of his van ready to take to Claire’s the next day. He may not know what he was going to do about his feelings for her but he certainly couldn’t have her shivering away in an unheated bungalow for one more night.

Chapter Three

Claire hung up thankful that the call hadn’t lasted long. Hayley had left with the promise of another call tomorrow but right now she was ‘…so hungry she’d eat the horse and the rider…’ Claire loved her friend but she was shattered and the urge to curl up in bed was suddenly overwhelming. Besides Hayley had gotten on her old hobby horse of insisting Claire had more feeling’s for Ben than just those of a friend and tonight she didn’t have he energy to protest her innocence.
Fifteen minutes later Claire was cuddled up in her quilt, pyjamas, housecoat and bed socks to try and avoid the cold that permeated throughout the bungalow still. She thought through the conversation she’d had with Ben, of her confidence in telling him she was sure that she could make the business work.
Then she sat up and turned on the lamp on the small bedside cabinet and fished a well-read letter out of her handbag on the floor beside her. Unfolding the creased and marked paper she looked at what really was little more than a note and read the words she knew so well.
Claire,
Here is the money as promised. Sorry to mention it but I really do need to be repaid within the year. You know if I could I would let you have it for longer but I’m limited by my own financial dealings. Besides haven’t mentioned it to Cynthia…
Hope it all goes well,
Love as always,
Roger. X
She folded it back up and placed it carefully back into the envelope and put this back into her handbag. Turning the light off she snuggled back down into her quilt. The date on the letter was November and it was already February. That gave her nine months to be able to pay back the debt. If she couldn’t she would have to call it quits and move back with her parents. She’d already worked out what she could afford monthly, the problem was that she would be unable to miss any payments at all if the loan was to be paid back in full.
As far as exes go Roger was one of the best, and definitely one of the better off, but it had taken her a lot to ask him for a loan. Only the thought of moving back to her parent’s house persuaded her it was a good idea. Even Hayley didn’t know where she had obtained the money, Roger took money very seriously and she didn’t want to risk his wrath by making late payments. But she wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it tonight, tonight was still full of the promise of what her new life would bring.

Being Brave!

2008-09-19T13:56:00.006+01:00

I've sent a synopsis and three sample chapters to Little Black Dress publications....aaahhh! It took me ages to decide whether to or not but in the end I thought I've got to start sending my novel out sooner or later. Although I still have some adding in if I need to make Finding Alex up to 100,000 words, LBD publish novels of lengths between 60 and 80,000 so the original (with just a few amendments - like scrapping the entire first chapter) is okay length wise. I'll just keep my fingers crossed as to whether it is okay otherwise!

Well here are the first three chapters of Finding Alex hope you enjoy it!

First Impressions.

2008-09-15T15:13:00.006+01:00

Well I didn't post last week as I was so busy getting used to the new routine of having to be up and organised everyday to take my little girl to school. Organised is a four letter word to me and it took a few days but I think I've cracked it, only another 11 or so years to go! I really miss her during the day though so that may take a little longer to get used to.

Well this weekend it was the EA Chapter of the RNA's 2 monthly meeting and we were very honoured to have Hilary Johnson come to speak to us. She concentrated her talk mainly on how important it is to get the initial introduction letter to agents/publishers right. It is scary how many things put these people off before they've even got to the MSS, and if they are put off by the letter then often the MSS will not even be read.
A horrible thought when you know how much time and hardwork has gone into it, but completely understandable if you take a minute to step into their shoes and realise just how many 'precious' MSS they get a week. After all it is their business and while they have to love the projects they take on it's money that is speaking - love doesn't pay the bills! (Unless you are a romance writer hopefully...):-)

The biggest point I took away from the talk is be professional, even if you are as green as grass, research, research, research and take time to make sure it is correct. I will certainly keep this in mind when it comes time for me to start writing letters to agents.

Anyway back to Finding Alex and I'm going to tell you a little about Hayley now. Hayley is my protaganist Claire's best friend, they've been best friends for forever, growing up in the same town - they went through school together then on to Uni. After Uni though Claire stayed living with her then boyfriend Rob while Hayley moves back to their home town of Worthing, not too far away.
Hayley is a man mad, absolutely loyal, crazy best friend. She loves shoes, clothes, and new hair styles and Claire tells her everything.
Everyone was surprised when she met her husband James - the man-mad girl was turned into a one man lady. And yet everyone who knew the couple longed to have the same kind of relationship of their own. Being part of a curiously unsickening perfect couple didn't change Hayley one bit. She still loved shopping etc and was still man-mad, it was just her friends that she would try and find the perfect relationship for.
The sickening thing of it all? Hayley usually knows how to spot the perfect guy! Would she find the perfect guy for Claire?

I Actually Did Some Writing! Yay!

2008-09-03T20:09:00.006+01:00

Well I was very good on my shopping trip and limited myself to just one of the books on my TBR list. I decided on Decent Exposure by Phillipa Ashley and am really enjoying it. Phillipa won the RNA's New Writers Scheme prize with this book and the reviews I read said it had a cracker of an opening line. This has tantalised me since reading the review and so I purchased the book and found out it really is a great first line. Am also loving Will the hero in it, makes me want to move to Cumbria and be rescued from a mountain! It's published by Little Black Dress and well I'd recommend it - the book, not being stranded on a mountain, however cute the mountain rescue team is! :.)

Great news - well two bits actually, I've lost 3 and a half pounds (QUARTER OF A STONE) this week and even better I have actually started to fill in some of my sub-plots! Yay! I've concentrated on a couple of the characters and a couple of story threads I want to explore more and have pretty much worked out what I'm doing. Then I started to write and it was all flowing well. So well that I have decided that I am going to post about one of the baddies in Finding Alex first. Joe is the character I am working on at the moment so rather than introducing my hero and protagonist I thought I'd let you meet him first.

Joe Partridge is your typical tall dark and handsome bod...and he knows it. He has looks to die for, a super laid-back attitude and a bed post with more notches than wood. He was once, way back when, best friends with the hero but soon became jealous of the tight family life Ben had. So using the only two assets he thought he had - his looks and the family money - he soon garnered a reputation for being the biggest player in town, or to be precise the village. A right laugh, a good night out, but if you were a girl you didn't make any permanent plans with him.
Joe craves his fathers attention and if he can't get that his brother's would do. His dad unfortunately is too interested in the bottom of the bottle these days to care, and his brother too into his bank balance to pay Joe attention. So Joe survives the only way he knows how, after all he has a reputation to live up to.
When his brother Jordon actually needs Joe's help though then Joe comes running. Perhaps if he wasn't craving the attention so much then Claire's fate wouldn't be laying in his hands...

I hope he's intriguing you enough to want to know more. Next time I'll post about another of the Lower Bridge residents!

Gotta Get Writing...

2008-09-01T08:08:00.003+01:00

I am becoming the Queen of displacement activities, how am I going to ever get a book published if I don't get the bloody thing written? (And yes I do know that is only the start!)
Next week when my daughter starts school (which we're not mentioning) and son goes back to pre-school I will at least have a couple of days a week when I will be at home on my own. The question is will I use this time wisely and start writing again, or will I suddenly discover that the oven needs cleaning, the windows washing or - it would have to be bad - the ironing needs doing? Hopefully I will get around to writing. I am even stepping down as the secretary of the pre-school (voluntary) to make time. I am also considering whether to start posting bits of Finding Alex on here. Maybe bits of the story. Maybe lowdowns on the characters....hmm will let you know.
Well hopefully going into Cambridge later and doing some book-shopping, definitely my favourite kind. There are so many RNA writers who's books I want to try and I don't know where to start. There is bound to be a Katie Fforde in the purchases, her books are my reward (often just for doing the housework, but ho hum it's not designer clothing but way more fun and relaxing, and I don't have to worry how big my bum is with them). Want to try Nell Dixon, Kate johnson/Cat Marsters, Kate Hardy, Fenella Miller and Anna Lucia amongst others. Better go and do the breakfast...

2008-08-30T07:59:00.004+01:00

The weekend at last. Today we are hopefully going to be getting some tidying up done in the garden. I say we I mean DH of course while I pull a few weeds and conduct operations from the sidelines. Well someone has to do it.

I'm trying to lose weight at the moment - in the 10 years I've been with DH I've gone up from a size 12 to a size 18. I can't even blame this on the birth of the children as it was hapening way before they came along. So with the help of Weight Watchers I'm trying, my personal goal is to get to a size 14 before C******** (to early in the year to mention it) and be able to buy myself a new outfit.

Of course by then I also aim to have a book at an agents/publishers. Obviously I've got to start writing the extra 40,000 as previously mentioned. I don't know whether to start trying to write some short stories for publication in mags such as My Weekly and Peoples friend. In my critique it was suggested to do this and My Weekly was mentioned in my previous one also, obviously this suits my style of writing. If I'm writing short stories it detracts from novel time but having something published may help in the acceptance of my novel. I'll keep pondering this.

Hunks and Heartthrobs as voted by romance writers of the UK

2008-08-28T21:10:00.000+01:00

By the way...

Johnny Depp and Pierce Brosnan make Romantic Novelists’ hearts throb.

Members of the Romantic Novelists’ Association have voted Johnny Depp as the
Number One Perfect Romantic Hero in a poll to mark Valentine’s Day.
According to these authors, a romantic hero should be gorgeous, deliciously
sexy, intensely masculine and have a commanding presence.

Ironing and sub-plots.

2008-08-28T14:41:00.003+01:00

It was the last story time at the local library today and the children enjoyed the story of the three little wolves and the big bad pig. I'm in denial as my oldest child starts primary school in just over a week. I am putting a brave face on it and trying not to make a big deal of it for daughters sake - but tissues please.

Since I had my review back from the Romantic Novelists Association's New Writers Scheme I've been avoiding writing. I was pleased with the review which stated that there was no problem with my style of writing but that I just need to add some more sub-plots. I've since then been collecting advice on how to thread in sub-plots.
I've also been using all the displacement tactics known to man. I've read several blogs - it's important to see how others do it (this writing thingy), I've made glitter shakers, cards and goodness knows what with the children (okay that was fun!) and I even cleared out the kitchen cupboard. I nearly tackled the overgrown ironing pile then decided I wasn't quite that desperate to avoid writing.
Then last night I finally sat down and wrote a list of all the characters whose stories I could expand. I wrote pro's and con's lists and decided which would actually add to the story something more than just a word count. I worked out which one to use.

So now I've got my plan. I've got my 60,000 word mss. Now I've just got to fit the two together and make it a 100,000 word mss. Easy huh.....

Under construction, posting soon. Lori x

2008-08-27T13:25:00.000+01:00