The Hungry-Man is on its way!

Major news! The Hungry-Man is one step closer to publication today!

Today I finished the first proper version that has all the right bits in the right places! Please excuse me (or feel free to join in) while I have a little WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!

Ye gods, I hope you enjoy it. I'm exhausted. The analogy of giving birth has never felt more true. From the embryonic initial idea to the (almost) final 64,000 word book-baby, I feel I have more than carried this one full-term. False starts, crises of confidence and some downright terrible writing have plagued me for over a year. I think I'd have rather had morning-sickness and piles! I definitely had the backache and strange cravings in the middle of the night...

But it was worth it. The mad scribblings of NaNoWriMo, where I stripped back my original short story into post it notes and then wrote 54,562 words in three weeks (before collapsing from exhaustion), have been pruned and sorted, edited and added to, and what has emerged is a pretty awesome tale (well, I think so- and so does my Mum- tee hee) of the special bond between a dog and his Mummy, and how far he'd go to keep her safe. It's even a little bit scary too. And you might cry a bit. If you have a dog, you've got no chance of avoiding either emotion. (But I promise no dogs were harmed in the making of this novel. Well, maybe one... but he's not real, so it's OK- isn't it?)

As chuffed as I am today, I know I'm not quite ready to present The Hungry-Man to the world yet (would that be like a christening? Another Strange Idea). It still needs a little more work before it can find its feet and toddle off into the big wide world. By the time I've tidied it up a bit more, I expect it to be a little heftier and healthier, but I still think it's beautiful now- even covered in lack-lustre verbs and unnecessary adverbs.

I just wanted to squeee a little.

So- SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I'll keep you posted xxx

WIP Wednesday... how about every day?

Sign up for your own challenge at www.nanowrimo.org


So, here's the thing.

I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starting on November 1st, and I've got a shiny blue counter on my homepage. I've got a cupboard full of teabags. I've got post it notes all over my dining room table. I've even got a lush pink folder to keep everything together.

I've also got an idea to keep me motivated.

How about if, instead of cheering me on as the numbers on my counter go up, you could read the words I wrote that day? Sort of a serial... but where you get to comment and make suggestions. I've pretty much got the outline nailed down, but who knows where the story might take me?

Would anyone read it? Would anyone feel compelled to comment in cheer-leader-style or demand a plot twist that takes everyone by surprise?

Let me know.

Until then, I'll keep scribbling ideas on post its, receipts and stationary children...
xxx

The Hungry-Man: exclusive preview

 

Harvey loves his Mummy; he’d do anything for her. They have a blissful life together, filled with cuddles, walkies and camping trips. Then, one terrible day, everything changes and their perfect life becomes a nightmare. The Hungry-Man wants his Mummy, and only Harvey can save her from a horrifying fate.

Can Harvey do what it will take to protect his Mummy? And will it be enough?

A terrifying and gripping tale of a dog’s devotion and determination to protect those he loves. The next time your dog tries to warn you about something you can’t sense, pay attention…

 

Now that I'm back from my bummel, it's time to get stuck in to some writing again. I'm thrilled to bits to share with you a draft of the prologue and first chapter of "The Hungry-Man", my current WIP.

Looking for Love

I went looking for love...
... I looked in the tiny, rough cracks in the bricks of a house older than my grandfather's grandfather
... I looked in the delicate buds of the flowering weeds that danced in a mass of wild green
... I looked in the silver-hued patterns the children's shadows made on the playground

I went looking for love...
... I found it in the rich, purple berries that were hidden behind waxy leaves
... I found it in the cold, fresh gusts of wind that lifted my hair and widened my smile
... I found it in the face of my friend as she closed her eyes and faced the sun

And, after I had found it, I held love in the space between my hand and a child's hand
My hand surrounding his
Love's hand surrounding us.
And I was happy.

WIP Wednesday: Them

D

o you ever get that feeling you’re not alone?

Strange Ideas: Death, Destiny and Decisions

SQUEEE!

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself- my proof copy of Strange Ideas arrived today and it looks GORGEOUS! The nice man over the road (Geoff, not John) took it in for me as it arrived while I was at work, and jolly grateful I am too. I don't think I'd have slept a wink all night knowing it was sat at the post office, all lonely, waiting for me.

WIP Wednesday- Late: a ghostly tale released in paperback.

Available on Amazon

Hi guys!

In preparation for publishing Strange Ideas: Death, Destiny and Decisions, I decided this week to have a test run with the already-available-on-Kindle-and-doing-very-nicely-thank-you-very-much-for-asking Late: a ghostly tale. It was an interesting experience...

Work In Progress Wednesday: Later

Ok chaps, (and chappesses) I need your help this week.

 

In between American house-guests and OFSTED, I've been struggling to find time to write, but time is ticking and my self-imposed deadline for publishing Strange Ideas: Death, Destiny and Decisions is looming, so I've been doing my best. Unfortunately, snatched minutes and a tired headache do not a masterpiece make, and I have a stubbornly-rubbish phrase I need to shift.

Stamp- the final installment

Happy Wednesday! Or not, depending on how attached you've become to Ben. Today will be the last installment of Stamp on this blog. But don't cry into your cocoa yet! I have good news too!

Stamp- part ten

Happy Hump-Day! I hope you're having a marvellous week so far! I've been settling in to my new job and playing hostess to some Young Americans- exciting stuff! But enough about my life- you're here to find out all about the latest twist in Ben's. It's getting good!

 

The tension is really getting to poor Ben- will Tim's numbers come up? Or has it all been wishful thinking? Hurry up and meet them in the pub- it's Tim's round (and that rarely happens).

Stamp- part Nine

Happy Wednesday everyone! After the excitement of The Next Big Thing I'm back on schedule with Stamp- sorry I made you wait two whole weeks for this!

 

So, Ben has finally put two and two together and come with Tim's lottery numbers. Is his hunch right? He doesn't have long before he finds out! Read on to find out what happens next...

The Next Big Thing: Strange Ideas

I've got a very special WIP Wednesday for you this week, and I'm squeeely excited to be part of this- The Next Big Thing blog tag. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this idea, it's a way for authors to share and promote their books by "tagging" each other and answering 10 questions about our next book or work in progress.  At the end of January, I was tagged by Gloria Piper, author of Finnegan's Quest: a metaphorical fantasy that pokes fun at life’s foibles—political, religious, and social. You can look her up at http://gloriapiper.wordpress.com/

And now... drum-roll...

Stamp- part eight

Why, hello there, lovely readers! I hope your week is going well so far, and that you enjoyed my part of the 7 Line Challenge. This blog-hop business is rather exciting, isn't it? Read all the way to the bottom of this post to discover what I have planned for you next week- it's very special (and a little delayed).

 

Onto this week's chapter of Stamp. I know I made you wait a week (sorry, Mary- your complaint has been noted) but, unfortunately, I think this next part will have you climbing the walls to find out what happens next too. Feel free to bribe me with cake and I'll email you the next chapter. I'm not kidding. (Mary, you know the cake I like).

Stamp- part seven

Hello again and welcome to my Wednesday WIP.

I've been busy editing "Stamp" and working on "A Flip of the Coin" this week, in between schoolwork, snow-sculpting and car trouble. For once, I've set myself a deadline that I might actually keep in finishing my short story collection by the end of March. All but one story is drafted, and I'm making good use of my wonderful beta-readers to keep on top of edits and improvements. I'm feeling very organised, which is a bad sign. Plate-spinning is not normally my strength but maybe this old dog (easy now) is learning a few new tricks after all!


Anyway, enough about me. I know why you're here today. You want to find out what happens next, right? You've read about Ben and his fall-out with Tim, and you're wondering if they'll ever be friends again, and how Ben's life is working out post-Cassie. Most of all, you're wondering what the stamp is for... read on for another piece of the puzzle.

Stamp- part six

Hey, it's Wednesday! How is your week going so far? Poor old Ben is not doing very well: Cassie's gone, his boss is on his back and, to top it all, he has a mysterious stamp on his hand that stubbornly refuses to wash off. Surely things can only get better? Read on to find out..

Stamp- part five

Wednesday again! I love Wednesdays- it feels like we're over the hump of the week and ready for an easy slide down towards the weekend. It's also WIP Wednesday day. I look forward to it, and I know some of you do too. I shan't keep you waiting and, if you've read this far already, you know where to look to refresh your memory so I'll just include a link to the last installment. Remember, I value your feedback on this so please do post comments and tell me what you think.

Stamp- part four

Well, hello! This is becoming a bit of a regular thing, isn't it? I'm not complaining- I quite like getting stopped on the street to be grilled about Cassie's disappearing act and Ben's mysterious stamp. Makes me feel needed. 

Here's the next installment of Stamp for your perusal. Let me know if you get bored and I'll stop posting them. Alternatively, beg me for more and I'll happily oblige. Enjoy x