I'm In Fashion

I've been invited to join a fashion website called Lookville based on the appearance and content of my blog... cool.

Well if the advice they want me to share is all red, red, red, then I guess they asked the right person!

I've created a profile and busy taking a look around the place, not sure if it'll be a match made in heaven or hell, time will tell

Times up!

Oh dear, lol.  Seventy-two hours ago I was on my way to Liverpool, knowing I would come home to an empty house because my husband had taken the children to see their grandad for a few days.

Well, now it's Sunday morning, sorry, afternoon and here I sit awaiting the sound of the key ion the lock as my little family returns.

How much writing did I get done you ask?  Erm... 
Did I manage to get all my rejections back out to new markets?  Was it productive time?  In a word no. 

My current short is taking longer than expected, purely because of the new style, not to mention the LOTR marathon I treated myself to and a couple of friends popping by, distraction after welcome distraction, lol.  But if I don't put my head down and get it finished soon, as much as I am enjoying writing it, I know I am starting to hunger for a new story and I'll likely abandon it...

I have several ideas, ideas that I should really start to document before the run back into the dark crawl space in the back of my mind.

Well that's it.  Family back, chaos ensues.  Missed guinea pigs have to come in for cuddles, games they've been deprived of for three days must be spread out across the floor and husband is in dire need of some refreshment and then some sleep after a long drive in dreadful weather. 

Never mind, there's always next time, it's nice to have the mob back.

You have to read this book!

The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, by Steven Sherrill.  If I could only ever recommend one book to anyone and everyone, this would be it!  A sort of one-size fits all recommendation.

It is a touching, funny, warming, heartbreaking tale of humanity experienced through the eyes of a 5,000 year-old Minotaur, known to his colleagues as 'M'.

I've been slacking on my reading lately and this was the book that got me back on track - big time!  And it's the kind of book that leaves you thinking about it over and over long after you close that back cover.  I've found my thoughts sneaking back to the Minotaur, who, I personally fell in love with, and wondering what will happen next in his long and often laborious life.  I want a Minotaur!

The way this book is written felt quite unusual to me when I started, a straight forward narrative, quite blunt.  But when I was about halfway through and banging out some of my own story ideas, I found myself experimenting with the style.  Not sure it works yet, still got a lot of re-writing to do.  But it's definitely made me think more about style.

Anyway, the key point from this blog entry... Go read this book!  You'll be so glad you did.  And a big thanks to Devon on Writers Beat for recommending it on one of the library threads.  Thanks Devon!

I'm off to give this a five star review on Amazon-UK.
Here is that review by me on Amazon

Big Red - The Sequel

Okay, so I wrote a story called 'Devil of a Deal' about a young woman being married to the devil.  If I'm honest, it was the most fun I've had writing a story in a long time.  So, despite a plethora of other ideas in my head, I've decided to write a sequel.  Called 'Devil Child'  Where Big Red and Lindsay are now expecting their first baby.

Obviously their relationship has moved on and she has now become immortal, having slept with the devil and committing her body to him.  Having been through the pregnancy side of things myself, although not with the devils child (feels like it sometimes), I'm having lots of fun again embellishing all the delights of the condition, making it more devilish, including Lindsay being rather amorous.  Not sure what my fellow HHers will think of this.  I think they're used to my raunchy writing now.  Sometimes I wonder if my writing is in fact a selfish act, so much fun do I have.

A Wonderful Weekend

Well, here I am home, after a wonderful four-day weekend with my family at my second-cousin, Hayley's,wedding.  Going back to the farmhouse where Hayley grew up, where her parents still live, was like really going home.  It was just so lovely.  I spent a number of my childhood summers and Christmases at the farm with Hayley's older sisters who are closer to my age.  The feeling of being among my family, part of something bigger than me, was so good.  Being an only child, and having lost both my parents I revelled being with relatives who are such a big part of my past.

I got to take my children with and introduce them all to my family - the last time they saw them was three years ago.  So much has changed for me, and yet so much at the farmhouse where my cousin lives has remained the same.  It was really comforting to walk round the rooms, sit down to eat at the huge breakfast bar, see the toys that I played with as a child, even be among all the big country spiders, lol.  There was no standing on ceremony, no awkwardness.  People come and go from the farmhouse so quickly that everyone just mucks in.  Making tea and coffee, washing up, making sandwiches, it was lovely to be part of that again.  Even my little boy, who normally takes a while to get used to people was running round and chatting to everyone like he'd always known them, it was so lovely.

And the wedding itself... wonderful, Hayley and bridesmaids looked beautiful.  So many pictures are circulating facebook.  Dancing, catching up with people, drinking and then getting back after the reception and sitting up till nearly 4am with my aunt and cousins looking at old pictures and having a a laugh, it was all so much fun. 

The barbecue the following day was lovely.  Despite the rain we sat in a marquee and watched Hayley and her new husband Nathan open their cards and gifts, while eating delicious food, including home made scones with clotted cream and jam - my favourite.

My children had a wonderful time, I had a wonderful time.  Now I'm home everything seems to back to normal so quickly.  But I remain hopeful that it won't be another three years before we get to see everyone again.

Read my latest review on Amazon

I've just finished reading 'The Bed I Made' by Lucie Whitehouse.  You can read my review here on Amazon.

Busy Times

This week is one of those frustratingly, busy weeks.  I have so much going on non-writing and so much I want to do with my writings.  Typical, isn't it?

I'm off to a family wedding this weekend, and I can't wait.  I haven't seen anyone from my family for over three years.  I keep in touch by Facebook,  phone and e-mail, but not driving and working Mon-Fri time gets eaten up.  I'm so excited to be seeing everyone again and catching up.  I'm taking my two children with me and looking forward to seeing how everyone else has changed.  Family occasion's like this normally leave us all feeling very old.

The wedding will be on Saturday, but as it's been so long since I saw everyone, I'm staying with my cousin and making a long weekend of it.  So hopefully we'll get to sit and talk over some wine and remember the past.  It'll be wonderful to reminisce about my mum who has sadly not been with us for five and a half years now.

I did want to take my laptop, but with travelling on the train and spending nights up talking it's unlikely I'll get anytime to write.  It's just four days (eek) so it'll be me and my trusty notebook (in case I get any ideas) and a novel for late at night when I'm in bed.

Writing wise, there are so many things I want to do, which will have to wait I guess.  I've got a short I'm about to finish, a supernatural short that I'm toying with turning into a novella - actually I have two like that - and my existing novel that I want to do some editing on.  One of the WB members gave it a read over and suggested it goes on a modifier diet, lol.

So, this week, exciting and busy.

The Bed I Made continues to be an engaging read, I'm only managing a handful of pages each day between entertaining the children, writing and work and housework, lol.  But if I take it with me at the weekend I might just finish it.  Oh, and I saw Knight and Day at the cinema yesterday.  Absolutely hilarious, Tom Cruise is a good sport for making fun of himself.  A very entertaining piece of cinema.

Next week I'm going to see The Expendables!!  I can't wait.  Among the actors are Dolph Lundgren and Jason Statham, two of my all time favorite action movie hard-men.

Today I will be mostly reading...

I'm reading The Bed I Made by Lucie Whitehouse.  The Amazon link to the side is for the audio CD, because apparently it's not yet available as a book on Amazon.com.  Although it is from Amazon.co.uk.

Like Bastian in Never Ending Story, I was reading it in bed this morning and got to a part where I was so shocked I had to slam the book shut and get out of bed, hence me sitting here writing this now.

The story is coming along nicely.  But occasionally I read something which I feel is overly wordy (thinking to myself -I wouldn't have put that like that), lol.  This makes me think about the many arguments and comments on Writers Beat about what you should and shouldn't use and how you should and shouldn't write. 

Obviously, I'd never have been aware of such things before I started writing so seriously myself.  But it goes to show that those who say, write how you want and ignore the rules are completely justified in their argument.  It hasn't stopped Ms White, who by the way has other titles out there too.

Easy, like Sunday morning (or all day actually)

Today has been one of those rare and wonderful Sundays when I've got lots done and yet still feel completely untaxed.  Aside from the children driving me insane, which is just business as usual as far as they're concerned.  I've put on a large roast dinner - something I have been failing at as a household matriarch for quite some time - I've cleaned out pets and done lots of laundry, I've tidied away toys and thrown away crap - always a very liberating activty - and I've even managed some time with the book I'm reading.
On top of all that, my reading and crit for Hothouse is now up to date, something I like to keep in check, as some of our team are veritable short-story machines. 

And as for my own writing, I think my writing is very much influenced by the genre I happen to be reading, as, in the last couple of days I've turned out a couple of strong human interest stories, which I'm just finishing the editing of. 

  But I am hungering to create something a little more hot and... paranormal.  My long-short has gone cold as it's taking so long.  But I feel the need for from powerful brute strength and passion, so watch this space.

Today's Exciting News

Today has been great in terms of my writing.  There have been more sales of 'A Daughter's Love' and another fantastic review on Amazon.com (thank you Chazz Hart). 

Also because Kindle is fairly new to Amazon.co.uk, sales of the story so far have been enough to bump it up to #147 in the best sellers listings.  Untreed Reads are champing at the bit for me to get a few more UK sales and push it into the top 100.  So I've written a plea to all my facebook friends hoping there are Kindle users among them.

Secondly, and just as big.  My erotic fiction, Hunger, has been accepted by a paying market.  It'll be available to read on-line for one month from November 1st.  Rest assured a link will be posted at that time.

Untreed Reads promotion of ME!!

Today, Untreed Reads, the publishers of my story, 'A Daughter's Love' are promoting me on their website.  There's a whole page dedicated to me and my story, complete with my bio, blog link and a link to a STUNNING, 5-Star review on Amazon.com.

So with this entry I would like to thanks Untreed Reads for accepting my story.  And, a certain, wonderful, follower of my blog (Joe), who was the first to buy it and who gave me that fantastic review on Amazon.

So, from the bottom of my heart, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! 
You have no idea how much all of this means to me.

When the words won't stop!

I have, what I believe to be a fantastic idea for a short story.  It's paranormal, or horror... I haven't quite got to the gore yet so I can't classify.  However, it was meant to be a piece of short fiction to be submitted through HH.  However, 3,400 words in, in two days and it's turning into something quite different.

We have shared longer pieces in HH, but only once before.

Because the location and hideous sub-character are based on real people and places (lol and the sub character is 'gonna get it'), I wondering if I've gone a bit OTT on them.  I am hoping by the end of today I will ave a first draft that I can prune back with some serious editing.  But as it will take at least another 3,000 words to complete the story.  And that's still alot of words.

I'm loathed to walk away from the story and when the words flow as easily as they have been, it's normally the sign of a good piece of work.   Having said that, I've probably just jinxed it!

There's an iPad on my Christmas list

Okay I have to share this with all of you.  My friend has an iPad, he let me play on it for a while yesterday.  Actually I was going to steal it, lol, but he threatened to set the dogs on me.

No seriously, the iPad is a fantastic gadget.  I was typing on the glass screen, one-handed and faster than I can on my laptop, as I walked around his house.

You can do so much on it, I had all my normal apps and sites open and it was just so super easy.

I am now in love with the iPad, who knows how long it will be until I get one... but I will have one!

I am on Amazon

AMAZON, where I am a frequent customer, as a writer is the epitome of fame for me and here I am!!

A Daughter's Love, by Lorraine Sears

You can now BUY my story!!

A Daughter's Love, by Lorraine Sears
Can now be bought from the Untreed Reads website.  In the next 24-48 hours it should also be available to purchase from Amazon Kindle.

The story is flash fiction and there fore available at the bargain price of $0.99.  Cool stuff.  Further links to other sellers with be posted as they become available.

Exciting times!

I got the news that I've been waiting for today.  My story 'A Daughter's Love' will be going on sale with Untreed Reads next week.  It'll be released in e-book format and I saw the cover for the first time today.

It will be available from all sorts of big names including Amazon, Barnes and Noble and WHSmiths.  Rest assured as soon as I have the link I'll be sharing with you.

Okay, Lorraine, breathe...

Waiting's a bitch!

Lover Unleashed: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood

I just found out that the next instalment in my favourite books series is available for pre-order, due date 29th March 2011!!!  Damn!

I shouldn't complain too much or too loudly in front of my husband though, because he'll point out the mega stack of unread books I already have waiting for me on my book shelf... shhhhh.

The fact my reading has taken a back seat lately is starting to tick me off.  I've just finished one of two books I've had on the go since early June, all because I've been enjoying the writing so much.  Now back to the other one I've reawakened my love of the story and I'm squirreling away the hours of quality reading time.

Too much

I've been feeling sort of low lately.  WB has'nt been as much fun and HH is hard work.  Everything seems to have lost it's momentum.

I feel like I'm constantly writing at the moment as well: articles for my Wellbeing magazine at work, safety training courses at work, article for Buzz Reactor, and shorts for Hothouse.  No wonder I've found joy in editing my novel instead.

Too much of a good thing... is just too much.  I feel like I want to turn of my computer and hide it somewhere that even I wont be able to find it.  But I'm a slave to it, I know I am.  I'm addicted to checking my mailboxes for responses from editors.  I need to know what's going on at WB and see if anyone has commented on my latest piece on HH.  Is there an equivalent of Alcoholics Anonymous for the likes of me?

Amazon link updated to my profile

Have a click on the Amazon link above to go straight to my Amazon profile.  There you can see all the reviews I've written for books, films and much more.  I've just reviewed Sweet Spot, by Linton Robinson.  It should be live for you to view within the next 48 hours.

Writer's Beat Quarterly

The WBQ was published today, and I was lucky enough to be interviewed in the Limelight feature. There are also a couple of my quotes featured as well as sharing news about my published stories. You can find the magazine here.