Category Archives: Uncategorized

A SHORT STORY ESPECIALLY FOR YOU.


After reading this short story, you may wish to take a peek at my book YOUR LAST BREATH as the novel was inspired by this story. Please read on… A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BLOGGER Spotting an interesting … Continue reading

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National Trust Visit


After almost two years of staying home, we are finally venturing out. This lovely summer was too strong a temptation to resist despite many people still contracting covid. Well, we reasoned, National Trust gardens are outdoor spaces. We should be … Continue reading

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Long Forgotten Songs and VE Celebrations


VE Day Celebrations  With today’s problems, people are celebrating in a quiet way.  How about playing some wartime songs to get you in the mood for celebrating this momentous event. Do you know what your parents’ favourite wartime song was? … Continue reading

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A Rewrite of the Lyrics ‘From a Distance’


  Self-isolating, I was moved to rewrite the words to the song ‘From a Distance’.

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Beat Isolation Boredom With the Wildlife Trust’s Live Cams


Although I’m self isolating and have been since 10th March, I’m lucky enough to have both a front and a back garden. They are only small, but they give my husband and I the opportunity to take in some fresh … Continue reading

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Thrifty Tips Go Viral


In these troubled times where incomes are not guaranteed, most of us need to start considering how we’re going to eke out what we already have. It’s certainly a time to start thinking how we can cut back, especially if … Continue reading

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A Rare Discount On My Books


The Kindle Countdown Deal begins 15th November. Grab your copy at a substantial knock-down price. Although I won’t offer my books free, my books will be discounted for a few days on a Kindle Countdown Deal. It is two years … Continue reading

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Why My Books are Never Free!


Recently, I received a message on social media from a cheeky individual asking me how much I’d pay her to read one of my books. Really? Would this same person approach a shopkeeper and ask him how much he’d pay … Continue reading

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Who Would Want to Teach a Child This Nursery Rhyme?


When my youngest son was two, he could recite every nursery rhyme I knew. So, I visited my local library to find some new ones I could teach him. Although I did find a few more that were suitable, my … Continue reading

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How Observant Are You?


I’m not very observant! How do I know this? It was brought home to me one day, many moons ago, while out shopping on my own. Minding my own business walking to the next shop I wanted to visit in … Continue reading

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Will My Determination Pay Off?


As an author, the million dollar question is how do you get more people to read your books without giving them away free. I’ve read about some authors who spend tens of thousands of pounds promoting their book, and I’m … Continue reading

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An actual account of life in Wigan at the time of George Orwell’s study!


ELIZABETH (ALKER) SMITH 1918 – 2012 – AN ORDINARY WOMAN LIVING IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES.     During the Great Depression, in the same 1936 year George Orwell was conducting his social study in Wigan, Lancashire,  Elizabeth, just 18, discovered she … Continue reading

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Those Dreaded Words – “You Need to Diet!”


“I’m on a diet”.  How often we hear these words spoken nowadays, yet as a nation we’re all becoming increasingly heavier. Could we be the victims of faulty reasoning? When we hear the word “diet” we automatically think of all … Continue reading

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A Cautionary Tale – Should Children have more Freedom?


Looking through my family photographs set me thinking about the differences between my childhood, many years ago, and the play experiences of children today.   When I was young, in the 1950s, there was far more freedom for children. Many … Continue reading

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A Great Compliment? No, it’s a Put-down


  We always had great fun with our oldest granddaughter when she was little. Her mum went back to work when she was six months old and we looked after her two days a week from 7.30am until 5.30pm. We … Continue reading

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An Unusual Holiday Souvenir


    Many years ago, when my children were small, I bought a chunk of land. It is land of great historical importance as it’s the land where William the Conqueror’s army first set foot on English soil. I say … Continue reading

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Is Our Obsession With Appearance Ruining Relationships?


Appearance Most of us like to look our best for special occasions, like parties, weddings, and Christmas. We believe our looks dictate how others see us and we’ll sometimes go to extreme lengths to improve our appearance and prevent our … Continue reading

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Is This the End of Free Facebook Book Promotions?


The Facebook changes effective from August 2019 will make most unpaid book promotions less effective. Bots are on the lookout for more post engagement. We already know that book promos which just show buy links and a book related image … Continue reading

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CAN FACEBOOK WORK FOR YOU?


Small businesses and self-employed people like authors, artists, and craft-workers depend on social media for getting the word out about their products. However, if their posts are only seen by a small number of people, they are wasting their time … Continue reading

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The Joy of Reading


The wonderful gift of sight! Use it to read more. For starters: try one of these: ‘Tissue of Lies’ – A psychological thriller. myBook.to/TOL ‘Your Last Breath’ – A chilling thriller. myBook.to/YourLastBreath   You won’t be disappointed!

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