Friday 24 February 2017

Celebrate the small things

Well, somehow we find ourselves racing towards the end of the month again! Time to reflect and post a few small celebrations.

Since I last posted I have managed to add about 6,000 words to my current MS. Quite pleased with that progress.

I also 'rediscovered' an old MS and have done some editing on it with a view to possibly re-submitting it. I wrote it a few years ago and going back to it made me realise how much I have improved as a writer. It needs some work but the characters and plot are solid and I think it definitely deserve a second chance!

I went to London for a couple of days. Exhausting but fun time was had.

I am still managing to read quite a lot. It is my favourite way to unwind and get to sleep at night. Recent reads include;
  • Lying About Last Summer (YA)  - Sue Wallman
  • The One Memory of Flora Banks (YA)  - Emily Barr
  • A Girl Called Owl (MG)  - Amy Wilson
Three quite different stories but I enjoyed them all.

Looking forward to a quiet weekend and some more writing.



Happy weekend

                                                     Thanks to Lexa and her lovely co-hosts
            L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge 
   Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Friday 10 February 2017

February Birthstone - Amethyst + #CTST

Following on from last month I am revisiting a series I ran a while ago highlighting birthstones and looking at some of the myths and legends surrounding them. Birthstones are something I have researched a lot over the last few years for my chapter book series The Birthstone Unicorns. So, if you or someone you know is celebrating this month, I hope you enjoy reading about the Amethyst. Obviously, one of my favourites due to it's colour!

Amethyst is the traditional birthstone of those people born in the month of February. It is usually lilac or purple in colour and symbolizes stability, peace, courage, inner strength and a calm disposition.

Amethysts can also be known as the ‘sobriety stone.’ Believed to prevent drunkenness and other forms of addiction! However, you may prefer to use to treat headaches, insomnia, arthritis or for general pain relief.

"The February born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they, the amethyst will wear."

(taken from the Gregorian Poem - author unknown)

In ancient times a true purple dye was costly and quite rare (see I always knew I had expensive tastes!) it is a colour often reserved for royalty and many crowns have amethysts on them. Through history they have been found everywhere from the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs to soldiers graves in Europe.

The word amethyst comes from the Greek 'amethystos' meaning not drunken. It was sacred to the God of wine and overindulgence, Dionysus. According to Greek mythology Amethyst was a young virgin who upset Dionysus when he became drunk on red wine. Amethyst sought the help of the Goddess Diana who turned the young girl into a white, shimming stone. Feeling remorse for his actions Dionysus's tears fell into his goblet of red wine, it overturned, spilling the red wine over the white rock and saturating it until it became purple.

In ancient times the amethyst has been more prized than sapphires and rubies

Amethysts have been used to adorn the rings of Bishops.

Saint Valentine was thought to wear a ring set with an amethyst in the shape of cupid.

In Medieval times soldiers often wore purple as they went into battle.They considered the amethyst an aid to healing in case of injury.

In the Chinese philosophy  of Feng Shui amethysts enhance the wealth corner, focusing on giving and receiving of material wealth.



                                                     Thanks to Lexa and her lovely co-hosts
            L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge 
   Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

This week I am celebrating the start of a weeks half-term holiday in the UK. I am hoping to get some serious writing done! 

Happy weekend everyone!


Friday 3 February 2017

Celebrate the small things


Another busy week and somehow we seem to have crept into February!

This week I'm celebrating completing another chapter in my current manuscript. Would have liked to do more, but as I said busy week all round and I have been really tired by the evening!

Time Travelling with a Hamster by [Welford, Ross]I read another MG book this week  ~Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford.

On his twelfth  birthday Al receives a letter from his dead father. He learns his father built a time machine and he wants Al to find it and travel back in time to save him. 

Al soon discovers that time travel requires bravery and imagination. It also requires lies, bending the rules and avoiding bumping into yourself! His is accompanied on his daring adventures by his pet hamster, Alan Shearer.

I found this a touching tale of dealing with heartache and grief but told with humour. I also learnt a lot about the potential scientific issues involved in time travel!



Happy weekend

                                                     Thanks to Lexa and her lovely co-hosts
            L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge 
   Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog