crispina kemp

Monday Extra: Wings Around The Water

Posted on June 26, 2023 by crispina kemp

Our walk around the lake at Whitlingham Country Park just happened to coincide with the emergence of damselflies. Loads and loads of damsels, all flitting like streaks of blue light. I did manage to photograph some… and then, of course, there were the water-birds

24th May 2023

And don’t forget the butterflies…

24th May 2023

And birds…

24th May 2023

And I can’t leave this Monday Extra without a closeup of a swan…

24th May 2023

Hope you enjoyed. Tomorrow’s Tuesday Treats is devoted to flowery things!

Posted in Photos | Tagged British Birds, British Butterflies, British Damselflies, Photos | 12 Comments

Sunday Picture Post: Painting With Light

Posted on June 25, 2023 by crispina kemp

This isn’t our first visit to Whitlingham Country Park, in fact it’s a favourite. But we usually time our visits to capture the gold and copper of autumn, and the blooming of an amazing variety of fungi. But with the sun putting on such a show, we went for the light!

24th May 2023

Took this view from both sides of the gate. This one works best

24th May 2023

May isn’t May without May Blossom (hawthorn) and this is such a delicate pink

24th May 2023

Light at its most beautiful is best viewed from the shade!

24th May 2023

Look! A heron in hiding

24th May 2023

Whitlingham Park is beside the Yare which is part of the Broads’ Cruisers holiday region

24th May 2023

Loving the play of light and shade

24th May 2023

Looking over the lake… from the shade

24th May 2023

And here’s a sight to treasure always

24th May 2023

So many yellow flags in bloom just now (wild form of native iris) but it’s the blue of the water attracts me more

24th May 2023

And a final shot. Hope you enjoyed

Posted in Photos | Tagged British Flora, Norfolk Walks, Photos, swans | 18 Comments

Mildred Names Her Animals

Posted on June 25, 2023 by crispina kemp

Image by Petra Boekhoff on Pixabay

Every creature, great or small, pet or wild, Mildred named according to what she deemed their characteristic.

Her cat was Scratchy from back in the day when she was a kitten.

The neighbour’s dog was Debacle (go figure it).

The two pet bunnies were Fast &Loose from the day they escaped their hutch and made a swift getaway.

The farmer’s runt of a pig, born one Easter, was Crucified.

The kid’s goldfish, won at a fair, was Bob.

And the tortoise was Adagio.

83 words, written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt: Adagio

Posted in Mostly Micro, Uncategorized | Tagged Sammi's Weekend Writing Prompt | 9 Comments

ARC Book Review: Hare and Adder by Crispina Kemp

Posted on June 24, 2023 by crispina kemp

Sammi Loves Books

Earlier this month, historical fantasy author, Crispina Kemp, author of the epic five book series, The Spinner’s Game, as well as Learning to Fly, and Roots of Rookeri, released her latest book, Hare and Adder, which is the first book in The Alsaldic Lands trilogy. Thank you to Crispina Kemp for sending me an ARC of the book, in return for an honest review.

You can read my latest interview with Crispina here.

Quick Review (read on for a full review)

A compelling, engaging and entertaining read. Gloriously complex and highly imaginative, Hare and Adder is a truly wonderful read! 5 / 5

Summary (from Goodreads)

Hegrissa should have been a granary keeper. She should have been able to find her way back to Lienershi when Kerrid, Head of the Granaries, sent her south to meet with her father. She should have been safe with the copper-smith since smiths are…

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Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

As Blue As A Summer’s Sky

Posted on June 24, 2023 by crispina kemp

27th May 2023

So tempting to post a photo of the summer sky, of which we are currently seeing them mostly blue. But then I remembered the irises that bloomed so blue this last May.

Clear Blue, one of the titles from Maria Antonia’s #2023picofthe week

Posted in Photos | Tagged #2023picoftheweek, Photos | 11 Comments

Can You Answer Yes To These Five Questions?

Posted on June 23, 2023 by crispina kemp

Do you enjoy reading? [Yes]
Do you like to read fantasy? [Yes]
Are you looking for something…different? [Yes]
Do you want to receive a free fantasy fiction book? [Yes]
Are you happy to give constructive feedback to help the writer (that’s me) [Yes]

It’s not too late, sign-up today to beta read for me.

The book?

The King’s Wife, Book 3 of Alsaldic Lands Trilogy

Bregan is a cuckoo-child. She should not inherit the position of King’s Wife (the king’s chief brewster) from her aunt. But a poorly buried memory is pushing her.

If she becomes the King’s Wife (the chief brewster) she will be in the best place to…to…but she doesn’t remember what, only that it has to do with her real father, a woodland daen, an ancient deity.

But when the spread of mysterious black clouds cast the Alsaldic Lands into chaos and destruction, her suppressed memory begins to rise.

Graphic Credit: Ivan Tamas on Pixabay

Posted in Fantasy Fiction, Mythic Fiction, On Writing | Tagged Alsaldic Lands Trilogy, Beta Readers, King's Wife | Leave a comment

CCC241: Expert Ease of the Instant Meal

Posted on June 22, 2023 by crispina kemp

Ardea Cinerea, a long-legged bird
Easily hidden in reeds, not often heard
Less a hunter, not even a baiter
More a waiter
Oblivious of the pinching bill
Fishes, frogs and slippery eels
Offer themselves as an instant meal

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos, Poems (Some Silly) | Tagged #CCC241, British Birds, Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos, Poem | 11 Comments

Afternoon Tea (III) with Crispina Kemp

Posted on June 22, 2023 by crispina kemp

Sammi’s done such a good job with this interview. She’s brilliant, and so supportive. Please do read, cos I enjoyed doing it too!

Sammi Loves Books

My latest author interview over afternoon tea is with Crispina Kemp, whom I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing twice before (here and here). Her new book, Hare and Adder, was released this month, and you will be able to read my review of it on this website next week. Having immensely enjoyed this book (and all her others!), I was excited to be able to put my next set of reading and writing questions to her.

So grab a cup of tea and maybe a biscuit or slice of cake, then sit back and relax and read the interview…

Thanks so much for taking the time to join us for afternoon tea today, Crispina. So what have you been up to writing-wise since our last interview, back in 2021? What projects have you been working on recently? What plans do you have for the future?

In 2022 I…

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Posted in Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #241

Posted on June 21, 2023 by crispina kemp

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