author of celtic, medieval, gothic and fairytale inspired fiction
So, I’m taking a little break from the serious writerly advice I’ve been offering lately and doing something fun.
So, here’s 5 quotes about coffee for you to enjoy!
1. Coffee is the best medicine.
2. Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death and sweet as love.
3. All you need is love and more coffee.
4. Coffee is happiness in a cup.
5. Life happens. But coffee helps.
New Monday = New Week!
Monday’s are for fresh starts! Who is with me?
Not to mention all the new goals and new plans waiting to be unveiled.
So, what did you accomplish last week?
Did you make your Friday more productive? Or did you struggle with it like I did?
What’s your Monday ritual? Did you make one?
Did you set a weekend routine? If spending both days writing counts, I totally nailed it.
As for Monday’s not sucking… well I’m still working on that.
How about you?
Share the progress you made in the comments no matter how big or small it was!
And don’t worry if you didn’t make much progress today is a new day and the start of a new week.
Just work the steps from last week’s post and you’ll be on your way!
Have you ever found yourself stumbling over where to start on a new novel? I have.
So, below I’ve come up with five questions to ask yourself before you get started writing.
They are:
1. Who is the main character or the heart of the story?
2. Who is the antagonist?
3. What threatens your main character?
4. What is the catalyst that sets the story in motion?
5. Where does the story end?
If you’ve answered all five of these you should have at least some idea as to the direction your story is headed.
I hope you found this blog post helpful in some way. If you did, drop me a like or a comment below.
New Monday = New Week!
Monday’s are for fresh starts! Who is with me?
Not to mention all the new goals and new plans waiting to be unveiled.
I’m not the biggest fan of Monday’s to be honest but I’m looking to change that. And I thought what better way than to bring you guys along for the ride with me and maybe see some positive changes in your lives as well.
So, how can you fall in love with Monday’s?
1. Make Friday Productive.
Have a slower start to the working week by preparing the best you can on Friday. Put in a lot of work on Friday. So you don’t have that much on your to do list for the new week. Get the most difficult tasks done on Friday so that Monday doesn’t have to be crazy and full of stress.
2. Create a Monday Ritual.
To start loving Mondays find a habit, a treat, or a ritual – something that you really love and look forward to and make it happen.
3. Stop derailing yourself on the weekends.
Most of us love to sleep in on the weekends but it isn’t always practical. You’ll find yourself getting exhausted fast. To avoid that keep your weekend sleep schedule similar to your weekday schedule and you’ll soon find yourself ready to take on Monday.
4. Change your mindset.
Stop telling yourself that Monday’s suck. The truth is they don’t. It’s just that for some of us the weekend never lasts long enough. Instead think of Monday’s as a fresh start. A new chance to go after things that matter most to you.
I hope this gives you a much needed boost to take back Monday and mould it into something you can learn to love.
Want to know the one thing that will make a difference to your writing?
Well I’m about to share it.
Get ready.
It’s reading.
Yes. READING.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. It can’t be that simple, right? Wrong! It really is that simple.
Immersing yourself in the genre you’re writing in not only helps you with language and style but also with finding your writing voice and it also helps with grammar and spelling. Something every writer at any stage can benefit from.
I don’t know about you but my grammar is often weak, especially in my longer works. But I’m working to improve it, and reading helps me to recall certain grammar rules.
It also helps your mood by helping you relax and centre yourself. Plus if you’re anything like me, reading a paperback book can aid in helping you fall asleep.
So, what are you waiting for? Go on and grab yourself your next favourite read and get cracking.
Paperback books are still my most favourite thing to pick up and read, but kindle is a close second.
What’s your favourite? Paperback or eBook?
Comment below!
Bonus points if you share the title of the last book you picked up and read or are reading!
It’s the final week of January and I’ve accomplished the following:
Bring on February, where I hope to up my word count.
Here’s to another week!
Happy writing!
It’s the third week in January and I’m slowly getting into the swing of things.
So, what have I accomplished in the past seven days?
Let’s list it shall we and find out!
I’m hoping to push the words in February when the kids go back to school. So, for now I’m happy averaging 1000 a week.
Here’s to another week!
Happy writing!
It’s a new year and a new challenge.
So, what have I accomplished in the past seven days?
Let’s list it shall we and find out!
I realized after I posted last week that I was a long way off my target of 3,500 words but as a friend reminded me tonight… it’s better than no words at all. And you know what? It really is!
Here’s to another week!
Happy writing!
It’s a new year and a new challenge.
So, what have I accomplished in the past seven days?
Let’s list it shall we and find out!
It feels like a slow start to January but given the amount of words written it’s definitely not.
I wonder what next week will bring?
Until then… Happy writing!
Raven Conspiracy is now available!
Bringing together the stories Morrighan and Le Fay, it’s the perfect way to read both before Pendragon comes out and finishes the series.
Ten-year-old, Morgan is horribly lonely with just her cat, Merlin for company. With no one else to play with, Morgan seeks the company of an imaginary friend, Arthur.
But, Arthur, isn’t who he seems and things turn sinister, when he reveals himself to be none other than Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot, before locking Morgan up in the bowels of the earth in a long forgotten crystal cave.
When she escapes she wants nothing more than to avenge her father’s murder.
Now an adult and gifted with a very powerful ally in the form of the Morrighan, Morgan is able to enact her revenge. But it comes at a steep price: the knowledge of Arthur’s premature death.
Can Morgan prevent the Goddess’s prediction from coming true or is Camelot destined to fall?
Get your copy now!
With 2020 fast approaching I thought I’d see out 2019 with one last post showcasing two anthologies that have my work within their pages.
The first is Organic Ink 2… AVAILABLE HERE
A poetry anthology weaving words into beautiful prose. 30 authors remind you of your childhood, bring comfort from the hardships of life, fiercely spur emotions, and tell tales of old.
Featuring poetry by Clint Foster, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Vanessa Bane, Zoey Xolton, Emily Fluckiger, Robert Beveridge, D.S. Durden, Irene Ferraro-Sives, Scott J. Couturier, J.E. Feldman, Theresa Derwin, Rich Rurshell, Mark Kuglin, Amy Ledford, Joshua Lupardus, Stephen Herczeg, Ann Wycoff, Amber M. Simpson, Datura Lily, L.L. Nelson, Beth W. Patterson, Vanessa Caraveo, Caroline Furlong, Rhiannon Bird, Sinister Sweetheart, Susan York, Gabriella Balcolm, Bobbi Sinha-Morey, C.L. Williams, and Jennifer Carr.
I have 10 haikus and 10 poems featuring. They are:
A Life in Motion
Flower Face
Isle of Apples
Loss
Nightmares & Bliss
Oh Cruel Fate
One Last Goodbye
Raven Queen
The Bastard Prince
Wolves Reborn
The second is 100 Word Horrors 4… AVAILABLE HERE
100 Word Horrors 4 brings you over one hundred new drabbles from a wealth of horror authors. Some new, some old, but all great. Each and every one of us hope you have a blast with the final instalment in the series.
My drabble, Blood & Bone can be found within.
Here’s to even more stories and poetry and publications in 2020.
Thank you all so much. You guys are beyond awesome! It’s been an incredible nine months since I hit my last milestone of 200 followers and it’s so humbling to find myself at 300 followers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me. It means the world.
I love seeing the numbers grow because I love sharing my success along with writing tips and story prompts along with other random tidbits.
Here’s to the next 100 followers in the next nine months.
Well it’s DAY 6… 11:10pm and I’m having to stop writing for the night.
For anyone doing NaNoWriMo and writing on their phone take breaks. Because I type on my phone solely using my right pointer finger I’ve killed my hand. More knowledgeable minds than me might say I have RSI. It’s quite likely. Basically hurts to move half my right hand. But you can’t win without pain and I’m behind so writing any words are a bonus.
I’m finishing the night off with 8,515… it’s not 10k… but I have a few tricks if I need them.
Also, there’s totally badass unicorn riding fey in my novel… 🙂
Well, I did it! With the acceptance of my poetry and a short story into two different anthologies I now have 56 pieces accepted for publication over the last ten months.
I am so thankful to the publishers who have accepted my stories and poetry over the last ten months, it means the world to me.
In light of this recent milestone, I’ve decided to challenge myself.
My aim now is for 75 acceptances by December 31st 2019.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Sadly, being in Oz I don’t get to share autumnal images or pumpkin spiced anything with you all in the northern hemisphere. But… I do get to share in Halloween, which I’ll be sure to blog about later in the month. It’s mostly for the kids, let’s face it, as a mum of four it’s always about the kids.
In the spirit of Halloween I’ve subbed to a few Halloween inspired anthologies and while a few are pending I feel like this is the perfect time to promote Forests of Fear from Blood Song Books. 
This anthology will be available for purchase on October 31st 2019. I have three stories included: