Update: March 2021

It’s been a while, so it’s not surprising if you thought I’d deserted you. Of course, I have not; but I have had to redistribute my time.

A year ago, when I released The Spinner’s Game for sale on Amazon, I had no idea of what I’d need to do to promote the sales. With no marketing budget, word of mouth becomes prime. And where better to spread the word than on social media. Over the past year, Twitter users have represented a large portion of my sales.

But Twitter is only one call on my time. My back has healed and strengthened, which means after three years of hitting the pain-barrier after five or six miles I can again walk 10-to-15 miles. Moreover, when weather allows, I’m getting out for two walks a week. As you might guess, I return with lots of photos. Another activity that eats into my time.

AND THEN THERE’S THE WRITING

My sixth book, Learning to Fly, launches on 1st April 2021. Available both as paperback and e-book, the latter available for pre-order on Amazon.

LEARNING TO FLY

Medievalist Neve is delighted to find herself surrounded by swirling colours and foot-stomping music in Regin-jarl’s mead hall… even if her presence is dependent on the memories of a banished angel.

Prompted by that angel to find the truth of her grandfather, locked in a cage to be food for vampiric grimmen, trapped beneath a dragon, life isn’t fun for Neve… though she does like the music!

 

THE FUTURE

I have resurrected Roots of Rookeri, posted here in weekly episodes in 2014. It is currently with my critique partner, but I shall be wanting beta readers for it shortly.

Work In Progress cover

A penniless poet-chorus-master & staunch adherent of Luban’s founding principle of “wealth is evil” falls for a visiting spy in guise of a scholar from status-hungry, gold-dripping Rothi. But problem: she has great wealth, and he’s its rightful heir. A Comedy of Errors in Shakespearean style.

I hope you’ll forgive me my absences.

 

Posted in Fantasy Fiction, Mythic Fiction, On Writing, The Spinner's Game | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

CCC122: Dancing Naked

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #122

Donald Duck
He’s the man for me,
Uncle-sent and spicy-green.
I’ll play Sapphire to his Steel,
He’ll be Mallard, I’ll be Teal,
Fantasy or is it real?
Call me crazy, it’s insane
Dancing naked in the Rain

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Poems (Some Silly) | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #122

CCC122

Welcome to my weekly challenge—open to all—just for FUN, FUN, FUN

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

  • An answering photo
  • A cartoon
  • A joke
  • A caption
  • An anecdote
  • A short story (flash fiction)
  • A poem
  • A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
  • An essay
  • A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

  • Your creative offering is indeed yours
  • Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Tuesday Treat: The Other Bits

Last week’s walk was not so great, the weather against us, no sparkling sun. But there were plenty of signs of new life. And at this early-year that counts for much.

You might not think this is new life yet within each gall is a gall-wasp larva, munching its way to the outside world

2nd March 2021

New shoots on the Rose rugosa, a naturalised rose that grows on the dunes and heath

2nd March 2021

Pussy-willows

2nd March 2021

2nd March 2021

2nd March 2021

Alexanders, the earliest umbellifer, introduced to Britain by the Romans… and see, there’s a fly!  Must be spring.

2nd March 2021

Woodland ivy and ferns… ever green

2nd March 2021

Honeysuckle… the leaves appear in December and often suffer front-burn

2nd March 2021

Well, it’s green; some fungi never disappear

2nd March 2021

While others leave signs of where they’ve been

2nd March 2021

But what we’re really looking for is this…

2nd March 2021

and this…

2nd March 2021

Hope you liked these early signs of spring. Let’s see what this week’s walk brings

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Olun Says

Image by Ben Johnson on pixabay

You are missing my point. I’m not saying we are powers, controlled by divines. If that were so they’ve lost their control of you mucking nutshells. I’m saying we’re connected, connected, to these… call them elements, these water, wind and fire things. Not that we are them.

47 words for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt: Element

This excerpt from Lake of Dreams [Bk 2 The Spinner’s Game] seemed just right

Posted in Mythic Fiction | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Sunday Picture Post: Another Day by the Sea

2nd March 2021, not the warmest of days. Mist hangs heavy all day. But we’re geared up for the walk, so we’ll do it.

Starting at North Lowestoft where the sea has swallowed the beach…

2nd March 2021

We keep to the prom…

2nd March 2021

As at Gorleston just north of here, the sea has carved channels and mini cliffs into the beach over recent months

2nd March 2021

The tides have exposed hard black oil, remains of an oil-tanker disaster in the English Channel in 1978

2nd March 2021

We decide to leave the beach and climb the cliffs the easy way…

2nd March 2021

Looking back down… such a misty day, it isn’t clearing

2nd March 2021

Atop the cliffs is heathland…

2nd March 2021

We leave the cliffs to meander through a woodland…

2nd March 2021

But even here this mist is holding. Oh well, back to the cliffs… and more of that wretched oil. You can see the fluted edge of the old sea-defences. All gone. Violent tides here now with much cliff erosion

2nd March 2021

We reach Hopton where much has been done to stop the erosion…

2nd March 2021

Looking towards Gorleston, invisible in the mist… this would be our normal walk, but we decide to take a “drier” way.

2nd March 2021

At Gorleston the picture is the same. Mist. No vistas. Cold. Damp. From there we catch the bus back to Great Yarmouth


We came upon several signs of new life, but I’m saving those for Tuesday! Hope you enjoyed this rather chilly, misty March walk

Posted in Photos | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

Yuletude Bubble

2nd March 2021

Sprays of holly are a traditional Christmas decoration. But Christmas has gone; now we’re looking on this side of things. And of course, that water droplet turns everything upside-down and back-to-front

This Side of Things, from the list provided for #2021picoftheweek provided by Maria Antonia

Posted in Photos | Tagged , | 13 Comments

CCC121: A Fantasy

Crimson’s Creative Challenge

You can send me flowers,
Lavender roses and pink chrysanths;
You can write lyrical poems,
Liken me to the stars and the moon;
You can text me, message me, even DM me.
But oh, my would-be lover
While you remain in your mountain fastness
And I remain by the sea
Fantasy is all that can be

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos, Poems (Some Silly) | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #121

CCC121

Welcome to my weekly challenge—open to all—just for FUN, FUN, FUN

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

  • An answering photo
  • A cartoon
  • A joke
  • A caption
  • An anecdote
  • A short story (flash fiction)
  • A poem
  • A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
  • An essay
  • A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

  • Your creative offering is indeed yours
  • Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, On Writing, Photos | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Tuesday Treat: Spring

Photos of flowers from Friday’s walk… Spring, as my father used to say, has sprung

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

26th Feb 2021

That’s all folks, for this week

Posted in Photos | Tagged , | 22 Comments