Spring is here.

Blogs Added by Rosemary
Spring Weather
Visit to the Dentist
Bank Holiday Monday
Broken Resolution
Time Management
Book at Bedtime
Broken Laptop
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Organising Clutter
Bad Buy
Critique at Writer's Group
Recipe for a Perfect Mummy
Mother's Day
Spring Day
Ooops - Complete Review now posted
5* review of Far Beyond Rubies
Taking a Step Back
Miserable Day
Peach and Nectarine Patio Trees
Tomato Plants
Vegetarian Menu
Organic Garden
Threatened With a Policeman
Regency - Weight Loss
Regency Research - Weight L>oss
Viking Exhibition
Saturday Lunch
Springtime
Review of Taming a Gentleman Spy
Phew! Completed Reviews
Reviewing Books
Time Management
Spring Bulbs
Vegetarian Pasta Sauce
Too Much to Do
Collector's Copy
Collector's Copy
Fiction I Read Recently
Day Off
Busy Day Ahead
Writing and Daughter's Ill Health
Writerly Schedule
Plotting a Novel
Fatigue, Stress and The Leisure Centre
The Future Queen Anne Stuart
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Gust Blogger
The Captain and The Countess
Recycling Arts Project
Out of Sorts
Snippet 4 The Captain and The Countess
Snippet from The Captain and The Countess
Lost and Found
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Type the Title here.....
Snippet from The Captain and The Countess
The Captain and The Countess 1st paragrapghs
Pre-order : Special Offer
Writer's Day
Guest at Helen Fairfax's Blog
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Flood on Somerset Levels
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School Run and Writing
Good Day Today
Galley and Gardening
Asparagus and Potatoes
New Kitchen
Writer's Group
Rainy Weather
The Captain and The Countess
Featured Author at MuseItUp Publishing
Under the Weather
Horrible History
Phew!
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Mild January Weather & GaRDENING
Public Library
Impatience
Business, Writing and Gardening
Ivory Tower
Another Busty Day
Lost and Found
Early Peas
Better Weather
Busy Day
Royalist Rebel by Anita Seymour
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Royalist Rebel by Anita Daviston
10 Good Things in 2013
Rain, Wind & Writing
Time to be Honest
New Computer & Notebooks
2014
Gardening 2014
Book Tokens
My Christmas
Christmas Greeting
Ideas and Inspiration
Christmas Read
Time Off
Georgians Revealed British Lirbary Exhibition
Dates for My Novel
Miracle of Christmas
Christmas Greenery
Exhibition at British Library. Georgians Revealed
Useful Book
No Bookshops in Town
Fate, Karma,Kismet?
Car is a Write off
Carols at Westminster /Cathedral
'Tis the Season to Be Jolly
Choosing a Book Title
What is on my M ind
Father of the Bride's Farewell Speech
Word Pictures
Hindhu Wedding
Halfway through my New Novel
The Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles
Titles and Forms of Address
Cold Weather and Research
Reading at Watford Writers
Princess Fairies and Christmas
New Chapters of Monday's Child
Plotting a Novel
Love & Marriage 18th c. poem
Writing, Shopping and Unmentionables
Love and Marriage - poem
Love and Marriage - poetry
When to Marry - Old English Rhyme
Accomplished Regency Ladies
Paperback of Far Beyond Rubies
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Peach and Nectarine Patio Trees
Chorleywood Book Festival
My Organic Garden
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Back to Writing
Festival of Romance 2013
Festival of Romance 2013
Festival of Romance
Kitchen Sink Drama etc.
A Trying Day
Blood Pressure Rising
A Day Out
Meeting a Friend
Extract from Far Beyond Rubies
Win a paperback copy of Far Above Rubies
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School Play
Zoe & The Ancient Egyptians
Kenya
The Flame Trees of Thika
Rosehip Jelly
Historic Pub
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Review of Far Beyond Rubies
Rosemary's Organic Garden & recipe
Watford Writers
Locked Door
Tag for my new novel.
Stephen and the Garden Centre
Who are You?
Festival of Romance 2013
Festival of Romance 2013
Harvest from my Organic Garden
From my Bookcase
Radish Pickle
From my Bookcase
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Home grown vegetables
English Costume - Sports & Recreation
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Costume of Household Servants
Costume in the 19th Century - 2 snippets
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Regency Research - The Duchess of Richmond's Ball
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Regency - Research Madams
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My novels and Amazon.
Regency - Research - Life and Times of George IV.
Soup Maker
Regency - Waterloo - Dancing into Battle
Regency - Regency - The Age of Elegance
Writing and Cooking
Regency - Research - Years of Victory
Regency - Research - The Years of Endurance 1793
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Regency Research - The Years of Endurance
Guest at Unusual Historicals
Regency - Research - Britain against Napoleon
Fierce Sun Overhead and Gardening
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The Gentlemen's Clubs of London
Midday Sun
Regency - Research - Wellington
Blackbirds enjoying a shower.
Regency - Research - High Society
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Regency - Research - The JanAusten Handbook
Proud Grandmother of a Young Gymnast
Regency - Research - Reccomended Book
Proud Grandmother
Regency - Research - Walking Jane Austen's London
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5* Review of Far Beyond Rubies
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Another 5* review for Far Beyond Rubies
5* review
Snow's Falling on My Hair
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Mother's Day
Ups and Downs of Being Published
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Far Above Rubies
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Here Comes the Sun
Cuttings Files - Cutting re:Frescoes
Final Check of my Novel
Snow versus Gardening
F.Way's review of False Pretences
England and Kenya
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12 Days of Christmas. Days 10-12
The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Nine
12 Days of Christmas - Days 7 & 8
Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Six
12 Days of Christmas Day 5
Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Four
The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Three
12 Days of Christmas - Days 1 &
Father Christmas - pre-Victorian
Christmastime – Some Old Customs
Two Medieval Christmas Games
Christmas Game - Times Past
Christmas - Lord of Misrule
Log Fires & Medieval Yule Log
Christmas Kissing Bough Medieval & Modern
Modern Christmas Miracle at Glastonbury
Mistletoe,Christmas,Norse Mythology and Kisses
Ivy at Christma Medieval and Present
Festive Holly or Christ's Thorn and Legend
Christmas Tree, Druids and Saints
Christmas Fare Present and Past
Nativity Carols Mediaeval and Modern
Carols, Vegetarian,Boar's Head
School Carol Service, Mediaeval and Pagan Carols
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Christmas Plays
Christmas Performances
Pantomimes, Christmas Plays and Mystery Plays
Christmas Past and Present
Christmas is Coming
Rivision and Historical Research
Cure or Not
Technicoloured Dream
My Mediaeval Novel
Near Disaster
The Festival of Romance
Retail Therapy
Manuscript Evening at Watford Writers
Books and bookcases
Example of Cockney Spirit in World War II
Lord George Byron
Lord George Byron's Kiss of Youth and Love
A Kiss - Courtesy of Lord George Byron
Tangled Love shortlisted
More Kisses and Romance
Invitation to a Feast
Commonplace Diary
More Kisses and Romance
Today's Romance and Kisses
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Come kiss me - William Shakespeare
Last Kiss
Kisses and Henry VIII
Kisses and Romance
Link to False Pretences by Rosemary Morris
False Pretences - Chapter One
False Pretences - Back Cover
Vote Now for best Romantic Film or T.V. programme
Festival of Romance Fillm and T.V. Awards
Final Prelude to War between England and Franc e
The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick
The French Revoultion Begins
Simple Pleasures
Writing and Blackberries
Britain's Disillusionment with France Prior to War
Festival of Romance - New Talent Award
Prelude to Britain's Struggle Against France
1793 - Britain's Struggle with France begins
A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Scarlet Pimpernel Fact or Fiction
Bariness Orczy
5* Review of Tangled Love
Sunday's Child a Traditional Regency Novel
Special Offer and Extract from Sunday's Child
Sunday's Child by Rosemary Morris
Rain, rain go away.
Away From Home
The Early Life of Georgette Heyer
Tangled Love a Book Trailer
Lucky Seven
Inspiration on Holiday
The Romantic Novelists Association Guest Blog
Review of Tangled Love
Guest blog with Paige Hurtado
Rosemary Morris guest at Helen Hollick's blog
The Sad and The Good
Kick Starting the Muse
Creating believable historical fiction characters
Madleine Grown Up
Challenge of Writing Historical Fiction
How I Plan A Novel
The Little Madeleine
Memories of Kenya & The Bolter
Writing Historical Fiction
Spinach and Curd Cheese Curry
The Three R’s from 1910 to 2011
From Highgate Hill to Kindle
How to critique a Novel or Short Story
Writers' Workshops and Linda Spur
Redbournbury Mill and Bakery
Hatfield House
A Novelist’s Road to Publication
Online Writers’ Critique Groups
Writers Groups
Retro Centre and Samuel Pepys
Recommended Reads
A Novelist aka Organic Gardener's Saturday Morning
Helen Hollick - Novelist
Helen Hollick - Author
MuseItUp publishers - special offer
Mathew Paris and St Albans Abbey
St Alban's Cathedral
My Mother Appreciation and Eulogy
Memories of my mother
Hatfield House
Withdrawal symptoms
The Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban
Chance Encounter
MuseItUp publishers - special offer
Historical Fiction - Research
Rainy Day
New Release. Tangled Love by Rosemary Morris
Joy of Gardens and Writing
About Rosemary Morris
Special offer from MuseItUp Publisher
Show Don't Tell - Write With Style
Seasonal Fruit
Murder Most Foul
Queen Anne Part Three
An Author’s Garden in August
A Writers Plans for A Summer's Day
Gardens Past and Present
Butterfly Farm
That charming, plaguey Justin
Queen Anne – Part 2
Queen Anne - Part One
Historical Research
Ham House
Tangled Hearts - Chapter 1

Blog

Rosemary's Blog has 454 Entries ' Spring Weather ' 07/05/2014 07:13:19 My greenhouse is full of edible goodies. Baby leaves - mizuna, lettuce and rocket they are delicious and would be very expensive in the shops. Something ate the tops of my first runner bean seedlings but I salvaged some and have some more coming up in a heated propagator. I also have French beans coming up in seed trays, and the broad beans I planted in the autumn are reaching up toward the sky. Outside I still have Swiss Chard which has been cropping since last summer and some lovely, crunchy radishes growing in homemade compost in an oblong container. I had a row of early carrot seedlings but while my back was turned my small granddaughter dug them up with her little spade. Never mind, she's more important than seedlings and enjoys digging, but I'll keep a close eye on her in future. I love this time of the year when I anticipate lots of tasty fruit and vegetables.

Bank Holiday Monday

Very quiet Bank Holiday for me, but I did pop round the corner to enjoy pancakes with my daughter and her children. I then spoiled the day by frightening myself with a list of everything I need to do.

Broken Resolution

Oh dear, yesterday I decided how many words per day I need to write if I am going to finish my novel Monday's Child, the sequel to Sunday's Child in the shortest time possible, as well as dealing with other 'writerly' matters. I wrote 'oh dear' because I woke at 6 a.m. checked my e-mails, dealt with some business on line, and then hurried around to my daughter's house at 9 o'clock. I shall be looking after her three children until 5 or 5 30 p.m.

At 11 o'clock I shall take them to Cassiobury Park where they can ride their scooters, after which the boys may play football - what is it about two boys and a football that attracts other children who want to join in the fun? - and my granddaughter can play on the swings, slides, climbing frame etc.  We will lunch at Café Cha Cha (please God don't let it be closed because it's Sunday) or elsewhere.

Must go, my granddaughter needs attention.

Clutter and Crisis

Tired of all the writing related clutter, notebooks, pens, notes etc., etc., I have bought some ornamental  box files, one set of three with pictures embellished with gold of peacocks and a second set in which I can put magazines and other items. I also bought an attractive box with pictures of Paris for the odds and ends on my desk.

Organising Clutter

I bought some ornamental box files some decorated with a magnificent peacock and others with butterflies and embellished with gold. I often work on my laptop in my comfortable bed. My notebook, notes, pens, highlighters, magazines etc. are all out of sight but to hand.

Time Management

Apart from fitting in shopping, cooking, cleaning etc., and spending time with family and friends, it is difficult to balance time spent writing and dealing with business matters pertaining to being an author. I'm almost two thirds through the sequel to Sunday's Child - Monday's Child and have worked out how many words a day I need to write to finish it quickly. The problem is that at this time of the year there's a lot to do in the garden. Today, I've found time to sow vegetable seeds, pull up the forget-me-nots which are past their best, and plant some lilies.
Can't help wondering how other authors organise their time.

Wounded Laptop

The screen on my laptop broke. To minimise my time at my computer, which I find uncomfortable, I continued writing my novels but did not post any messages. Thank goodness, the laptop has been repaired and I've come out of hibernation.

Bad Buy

I went shopping with my daughter. As well as some pretty china for the bathroom I bought some white, artificial roses to put in a favourite vase which I planned to put on the bathroom windowsill. The roses are too big and I broke the vase when I removed them. I was tempted to say a rude word or two but resisted temptation. Oh well, I can return the roses and get my money back.

As a rule, I'm not keen on artificial flowers but, sometimes, ones which look realistic are useful, particularly in the winter. Mind you, they don't rival those fantastic fresh flower arrangements in stately homes - the type of buildings which often feature in my historical fiction.

Critique at Writer's Group

I enjoy attending a writer's group on Monday Evening at which members often read poems, short stories, extracts from novels, anecdotes etc.

Unfortunately, to coin a cliché, there's always 'a fly in the ointment'. The fly at the group is a young woman who never, ever, praises anything anyone has written. She is so critical that I suspect she completely discourages new members who need some positive feedback as well as constructive suggestions. Yesterday, I was so irritated by her tearing someone's work to pieces that I asked: "Is there anything you like about X's short story." The gentleman who runs the group grinned and said: "Good question, Rosemary."

Recipe for a Perfect Mummy

The text from my 8 year-old grandson’s Mother’s Day card. I’m not ashamed to say that it brought tears to my eyes.

 

How to Make a perfect Mummy

 

1.      First beautifully cut the love into several pieces.

2.      Then crush the gentle kindness and mix it all in a bowl.

3.      After that mash the cuddles onto a plate until it’s like mashed potatoes.

4.      Cut the sympathy into little pieces until they are mini.

5.      Now mix all the ingredients together.

6.      Finally bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

 

Decorated with a heart with an arrow through it and framed in decorated yellow card.

 

All the best,

Rosemary Morris

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Mother's Day Today

It's Mother's Day in England. I'm admiring the gorgeous roses my youngest son and his family gave me when they came to lunch yesterday.

I think my other children will pop in this morning and then I'm going out to lunch with my daughter and her children at our favourite restaurant Zakoni's in Harrow. The sun is shining and I'm looking forward to a happy day.

Mind you, for those of you who do not have children, do bear in mind what my late mother always said: "If you don't have them to make you laugh, you don't have them to make you cry." Believe you me, I've had my fair share of laughs as well as more than my fair share of tears.

Spring Day

Son number 3 and his wife and family came to lunch today. I made a peas, potato, cauliflower and curd cheese curry, a lady's finger curry and urad  (black beans the size of moong beans but oval in shape) cooked with yoghurt and spices served with jaggery ( palm tree sugar) chappatis, flat breads,  brown rice, grated cucumber in spiced yoghurt and mango pulp,

After lunch we sat in the garden on the first real day of spring. Faint perfume came from a long narrow bed of daffodils, narcissi, yellow and white tulips. The first delicate blossoms on the bullace tree - wild plum tree - was silhouetted against a clear blue sky. Bliss!

New Review of Far Beyond Rubies

The following review of Far Beyond Rubies has 'made my day".

5.0 out of 5 stars Far Beyond Rubies is a Gem, March 27, 2014

By 

Nancy Jarrell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Far Beyond Rubies (Kindle Edition)

“Swounds, he thought, I am expected to marry and produce a male heir. An image of Juliana filled his mind. She would grace these ancient walls better than any other lady he knew. But what would she say whenhe revealed his past?”This is but a snippet of the delightful prose found in Far Beyond Rubies by Rosemary Morris. The author perfectly achieves the delicate balance of elegance and spice, humor and pathos, in this tale that takes place in England during the reign of Queen Anne.

The settings and characters are exquisitely detailed and described, from cruel and scheming relatives to determined orphans, and an unusual hero with mysteries of the orient in his silky, spicy past. Throw in some extremely amusing servants and landladies, and one is set for a thoroughly charming reading experience.

 

Rosemary goes beyond the mere surface of the era, rewarding the reader with an enchanting story set against a vivid backdrop of the of the culture, politics, and belief systems of the times, and the issues that developed when East met West: Fascinating. Lovingly and beautifully rendered throughout.

And the book trailer of the novel can be viewed on my website.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Taking a Step Back

When writing a novel I usually forge ahead trying to write 2,000 words a day until, triumphant, I type The End. However, I have slowed down and put aside the sequel to Sunday's Child, Monday's Child set in the Regency period. for a few days. I have made notes on how the plot develops in the remaining third of the book, and on tying up loose ends, but I need to think them through. On Monday, refreshed by distancing myself from my hero and heroine for a few days, I hope to return to Monday's Child full of enthusiasm.

Miserable Day in More Ways Than One

This morning, I have no idea why the formatting on an important document changed. I struggled for over an hour to correct it. I then rewrote the entire document - 8 pages of single spacing with not wide margins. By then I was cross and more than ready to have breakfast. If my mother had not brought me up not to swear I can't imagine what I would have said.

The sun shone a little but it was very cold so I went shopping for groceries instead of getting on in either the greenhouse or the garden. I bought half of the items on my shopping list, had lunch, and then bought the other half. When I reach home hailstones rattled on the car, on the pavement and on me as I took the shopping in.

You up there far above the grey sky, if I pray very nicely, please may we have some nice weather.

Mini Peach and Nectarine Trees

The mini-peach and nectarine trees in my garden have flowered. The blossom is exquisite. Yesterday, I pollinated it with a fine paint brush and hope to have delicious fruit.

I also potted up half a dozen strawberry plants - old fashioned favourites called Cambridge, and sowed mustard and cress on damp kitchen towel, and rocket in a pot of compost. As my garden is on the small side, I grow a lot in pots.

Later in the day, I went through the gardening catalogues that arrive regularly in the post and ordered black-skinned tomato plants, which the supplier claims are blight resistant and a variety of sweet potatoes call Beauregard. I also ordered a tool to help with weeding. The bottom part is placed over the weed, the top is pressed down and, 'hey presto' the weed is removed, another press at the top and the weed plops out into a container. Finally, I treated myself to a 3 metre long ruler which helps to sow seeds at the correct spacing. My justification? Mother's Day is approaching and I'm a mother so I decided to treat myself.

Tomato Plants

Saturday Lunch

At the end of my novel, Far Beyond Rubies, is the recipe for Spinach, peas and Indian Curd Cheese curry. I have made it for my youngest son and his family who are coming to lunch today.

Rest of the menu.

Sweet potato, butter beans, tomato curry to which I added some greens a dry curry served with cucumber raita (grated cucumber in seasoned yoghurt).

Moong dahl, (an Indian version of soup spiced with powdered cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt and fresh coriander. 

Chappatis (Indian flat bread made with brown flour).

 Brown basmati rice.

 Mango pulp.

I defy anyone who thinks a vegetarian diet is unhealthy to find fault with the nutritional value of this meal. Incidentally, the spices have their own health-giving properties and moong is rich in iron,

All the best,
Rosemary Morris
Historical novelist published by MuseItUp Publishing

Beautiful Spring Day

The lawn has been cut, the flower beds are ablaze with daffodils and a raised bed has been prepared for runner beans. Good quality soil at the bottom, a layer of shredded junk mail to retain water topped by well rotted manure beneath homemade compost.

There are artichokes and strawberries in the greenhouse waiting to be planted out and the compost is waiting for me to sow seeds. The mini peach and nectarine tress are about to flower.

I really think my organic garden is a little piece of heaven. Deep, appreciative sigh.

Threatened with a Policeman

When reading this, please bear in mind that no one has ever threatened to report my 4 year-old granddaughter to the police. My only mention of the police was to explain that her chocolate drops had to be paid for, and if they were not the shop keeper might summon a policeman.

Today I took her out to lunch. I didn't finish all of my meal so she told me in no uncertain terms that a policeman would punish me for not eating up. I would be taken away and cry because I would never see her again.

The child not only provides me with material for novels, she is also a budding author. Due to her vivid imagination, her mother and I are very nervous about what she says to her teachers at pre-school

Regency - Weight Loss

While researching the Regency era I as amused when I discovered it was believed that salt meat caused profuse perspiration and thus aided weight loss!

Viking Exhibition at The British Museum

I phoned the British Museum to book tickets for the Viking Exhibition. I've never waited for an answer other than repeated requests to continue holding for the next available operator. After a long, long wait, which I should have timed, I booked tickets for the 5th of April for myself and a friend. Now that the booking is confirmed I am really looking forward to visiting the exhibition. I have an idea for a novel set in the Viking era and am sure I will  be inspired when I see the artefacts etc.

Far Beyond Rubies by Rosemary Morris - Book Trailer

I'm delighted to announce that the book trailer for Far Beyond Rubies is now on you tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NpGoKe3qjs&feature=youtu.be

Comments would be very welcome,

All the best,

Rosemary Morris

Saturday Lunch

I made a favourite vegetarian meal for Saturday lunch. It's Sweet Potato Balti, a mixture of sweet potatoes, spinach, butter beans and tomatoes spiced asofoetida, curry powder and soup stock. Delicious served with mint and cucumber raita i.e. grated cucumber drained in a tea towel for half an hour, finely chopped mint, salt and a tiny amount of sugar mixed with yoghurt. I made a double quantity of the balti to freeze and then enjoy it on another day.

Springtime

My back garden I shouting that spring is in the air and elsewhere. The delicate white blossoms of the bullace (wild plum tree) are flowering, masses of daffodils and crocus are in bloom and so is the forsythia. The rhubarb is pushing it's way up out of the ground, and the bluebells and forget-me-nots are about to flower.

I have a wonderful book that traces the history of gardens in the u.k. There is a section about monastery gardens in which it describes each monk being allocated a small plot in which they were allowed to grow whatever they pleased. I have another book which traces the history of plants native to the u.k. and the introduction of foreign species. One day I would like to marry the two in fiction.

Review of Taming a Gentleman Spy - Book 2 of The Spies of Mayfair Series

Taming A Gentleman Spy

 

Book 2 of The Spies of Mayfair Setries

 

By

 

Maggi Anderson

 

“If ever beauty I did see

Which I desired, and got, ‘twas but a dream of thee.”

The Good Morrow. John Donne.

 Taming A Gentleman Spy is an enthralling historical novel set in The Regency era after Napoleon has been defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and then exiled. At that time the Government feared the effect of The French Revolution and its supporters at home and abroad whose aim was to overturn law and order.

 John Haldane, 4^th Earl of Strathairn, a gentleman spy, returned to England after fighting the French in the Peninsula Wars and at the Battle of Waterloo. His experiences gathering information have marked him, and no one is more aware of this than Sibella, sister of the Marquess of Brandreth.

 Brandreth, who has heard rumours about Strathairn’s link with the war office and the spymaster, warns Strathairn not to pay particular attention to Sibella, “…who loves home and hearth. She looks for a husband who will sit by the fire with her at night.” Brandreth doubts Strathairn could make Sibella happy.

 Sibella is curious as to why Strathairn does not intend to marry in the foreseeable future. She thinks they are well-suited and his kiss thrilled her.

 Strathairn will not marry Sibella because he could be killed like his partner, Nesbit, whose widow is pregnant.

On the ground, next to Nesbit’s lifeless body, lay a cravat pin in the shape of an eagle like the one favoured by Count Fornay, a dangerous revolutionary who fermented rebellion in England, and is presumed dead. “And why,” Strathairn asked himself, does Passion, a lady’s perfume linger in the air at the scene of the murder.

 Urged on by her mother and brother, Sibella agrees to marry Lord Coombe in the hope that she will learn to love him. However, she is determined to discover the truth about his first wife’s death.

 Maggi Anderson does not overwhelm the reader with historical facts but she does impart ‘the flavour’ of the times

Reviews of Fiction. Phew!

Phew, perfectly expresses my feelings. I have reviewed each book in a tottering pile and posted my reviews to amazon.co.uk, amazon.com and good reads. It's amazing how good I feel after completing a task I have meant to tackle since mid-February.

I have one more novel to review for a friend, and then I'll be up to date with the fiction. However, I have a number of non-fiction books to review in the future, but I don't consider this urgent.

Reviewing Books

I have decided to focus on one 'writerly' thing a day, or during each writing session. This morning I have been catching up with reviews of the tottering pile of fiction and non-fiction. One of the books I have reviewed is Louise Allen's excellent non-fiction book, Walks Through Regency London. I might not complete all of the ten suggested walks on one occasion, but I will complete part of them when I visit London.

Time Management

I am trying to manage my time more efficiently. Instead of working on several things every day, I have decided to concentrate on one thing every day + blogging and dealing with e-mails. Yesterday, I caught up with critiques of submissions by members of writers' groups that I belong to. Today, I have concentrated on  critiques of my chapters.

 For the rest of the week I shall get on with writing my new novel Monday's Child and hope to write at least 6,000 words provided I don't need to do too much research.

Spring Bulbs

I round up mismatched china and, in the autumn, put charcoal in the bottom of bowls, cups, flower vases, tureens etc., in the bottom of each one. Next, I add compost and put bulbs on top of it before adding more compost. Last year I planted hyacinths, mini-daffodils, crocuses and dwarf tulips. The first three are flowering, so I've brought them from the greenhouse into the house. Beautiful - and the flowers are cheaper and last longer than cut flowers.

Cooked for my Daughter & Her Family

Helped by my 4 year-old granddaughter, I made a vegetarian pasta sauce for myself, my daughter and her children.. I cut organic carrots, mushrooms, celery, leeks and green peppers into chunks, and then stir-fried the vegetables in olive oil in which I had steeped fresh oregano and basil several months ago. Next, I added two tins of organic chopped tomatoes and seasoned the mixture with salt, pepper and a little sugar. When the vegetables were cooked I tipped everything into the blender. The result? A delicious pasta sauce - and I made enough to freeze two cartons on another day.

Too Much To Do

My daughter is making a slow recovery, but I am still taking two of her children to school and collecting one of them at one o'clock, cooking main meals for them and going to her house in the evenings to help out. This means that writing my new novel, Monday's Child, as well as many 'writerly' activities are taking a proverbial back seat. Deep, deep sigh.

Collector's Copy

I took my daughter's younger children to pre-school and primary school and, later in the morning visited a friend after arranging the three children's evening meal. Next I indulged myself by trawling through the charity shops in one of which I found a collector's copy of I Will Repay  by Baroness Orczy, Author of The Scarlet Pimpernel published. My copy of I Will Repay was published in 1906 - 107 years ago.

Fiction I Read Recently.

I re-read three novels, Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Gone With the Wind. Although I was aware of the bygone styles of writing while reading and Margaret Mitchell's questionable views on slavery, which are incorporated in her novel, the powerful stories swept me away.

I have also read The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier, which gripped me from the first page to the last. In complete contrast, I read Banishment, a light-hearted Regency Romance with twists in the tale by M. C. Beaton, author of Agatha Raisin, and liked it enough to begin reading Intrigue, the second in the series. The heroine of each novel is one of six sisters. If the second novel is as an enjoyable bedtime read as the first, I also hope to read Deception, Folly Romance and Homecoming.

Day Off

I took a day off from writing to sort my house out now that the kitchen has been redecorated. I'm pleased with everything other than the woodwork. The painter hasn't rubbed the old paint down properly and he did not fill in chips etc., in the wood. I've contacted his boss and have to wait and see what the response is. Tomorrow I shall try to make up lost writing time but as I'm still doing the school run, cooking and helping out my daughter in other ways don't know if I'll succeed.

Busy Day Ahead

I know my day will be very busy, so I woke at 6 a.m. posted an e-mail to The Romantic Novelist's Association  on line group, checked my e-mails and wrote 2,000 words of Monday's Child from the viewpoint of an important character in the sub-plot. I hope it will  amuse my readers.

It's nearly time to have breakfast, do one or two mundane chores and then get ready to take my 9 year-old grandson to play in a football match. Afterward, I am taking my daughter's three children and my second eldest son out to lunch.

My daughter was still in an awful state yesterday evening. I hope she will be a little better today, but will go round the corner to her house at tea time to help her and sit with the children until they go to bed.

It's really hard to see a person one loves suffer so much.

Daughter's Ill Health and my Novel.

I'm not superwoman so I am tired this evening. This morning I woke even earlier than usual and wrote 2,000 words of Monday's Child. Next I revised an earlier chapter before checking my e-mails.

I emptied another carton of kitchen paraphernalia and put it on the shelves in my new kitchen cupboards. By then it was time to take my daughter's older son to his gymnastics lesson. He is on the London South East team and is practising for a competition. Her younger son, who is nine, and I had a quick lunch and then returned his books to the library. He wanted to know about Shakespeare so he was delighted to find an informative book about the bard, his plays and poetry. At the moment he is learning about World War I at school and is a keen football player so he chose some books about these subjects.

After I took him home, I put my feet up for an hour and then cooked the evening meal for my daughter and the three children.

She is really suffering - asthma attacks, dreadful migraines and to make matters worse, as I mentioned yesterday  she has either dislocated her shoulder or the cartilage is swollen and wrapped around something. Deep, deep sigh, the anti-inflammatory medication which she should not have been prescribed have upset her entire system and I fear she is becoming dehydrated because she can't keep anything down.

I'm now tapping away on the laptop having put the four year old to bed and will stay at my daughter's house until it is time for the boys to go to sleep. By then, I'll be glad of my own comfortable bed.

Behind my Writing Schedule

Every week I plan my 'writerly' activities. However, as I've posted before, real life often intervenes. My daughter's asthma attacks were decreasing. However she was suffering acute pain in her upper arm and shoulder so she saw a doctor at the emergency surgery. He did not know what was wrong and prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets. My daughter's asthma grew much worse. She then found out the medication is unsuitable for people who suffer from asthma. Back to the surgery today, where she saw another doctor. She has either dislocated her shoulder or the cartilage is swollen and wrapped round a muscle. Anyway, she can't drive so I did the school run and took her to hospital for an x ray.
I've made a huge pot of vegetarian Scotch broth for her and her family, but she doesn't feel like eating because she also has the migraine from hell. If it would help I would cry for her.

Plotting Monday's Child

I never plot my novels in advance in detail, but I do know what is going to happen and how the novel will end.

I am now approximately two thirds of the way through my new novel, Monday's Child, the sequel to Sunday's Child. I have a main plot and a sub-plot and was not sure of the sequence of events. This morning, I wrote a 1,000 words and then listed the events and the order in which they will take place - very satisfying!

Fatigue, Stress and The Leisure Centre

Three weeks ago or more, I had what I thought was only a heavy cold. I felt so ill that I went to the doctors, a no no for mere colds. I had a virus and completed a course of anti-biotics. The symptoms have cleared up but I felt so tired that it was an effort to do anything, and having a new kitchen installed and a new release, The Captain and The Countess made me even more tired. So, yesterday, I took most of the day off and went to the health suite. I swam and enjoyed the sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. I enjoyed it so much that after I lunch out with one of my sons, I shall return to the leisure centre today.

The Future Queen Anne Stuart

Three of my novels set in the reign of Queen Anne have been published and I plan to write another one.

Sometimes, when I mention Queen Anne, people think I refer to Queen Anne Boleyn. In fact, I am referring to Queen Anne Stuart, so I decided to post about the future Queen of England who reigned from 1702 - 1714.

 

The Cinderella Princess

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At the birth of the future Queen Anne, Sturart on the 6^th February, 1665 neither her uncle, the second King Charles, nor her father, James, and heir, imagined she would become the last of the Stuart monarchs. After all, Charles’ seven bastards proved his virility, and there was every reason to believe he and his queen of three years would have legitimate heirs to the throne. However, in the unlikely event of their not producing one, his brother and sister-in-law, James and Anne, the Duke and Duchess of York, had produced an elder brother and sister for the latest addition to their nursery, Baby Anne.

 

In those days infant mortality was high. The son ‘Cinderella’s’ mother carried when she married only lived for six months. Fortunately, Anne and her older sister, Mary, survived the Great Plague, which broke out in the year of her birth. The little princesses grew up in their nursery but their brother James, another brother and two little sisters died. One can imagine the effects of these deaths on ‘Cinderella’, a small girl with poor health whose weak eyes watered constantly.

 

Doubtless, it was with the best of intentions that with the consent of ‘Cinderella’s’ uncle, the king, her parents sent the four year old to her grandmother, widow of the executed first Charles, who now lived in France.

 

A portrait of the Anne as a small girl painted by an unknown artist at the French Court depicts a  plump, adorable little girl, dressed in brocade and playing with a King Charles spaniel. Yet her eyes, set in an oval face with a mouth shaped in a perfect cupid’s bow, are wary.

Yesterday and Today

No time to blog yesterday. Enjoyed pancakes for breakfast at my daughter's house, then went shopping, which took most of the morning, and the rest of the day galloped away with me.

Lots to do, and the house is still in a mess while the new kitchen is being redecorated and new units are being installed. However, I wrote another 2,000 words of Monday's Child this morning, which is very satisfying.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

I have finished re-reading The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. I bought an illustrated copy of the 68th edition published in May, 1938. On the cover are gold embossed insignias of the Mary Datchett Girls' School, Camberwell, featuring a lady wearing a wimple and Cloth Workers London featuring their coat of arms, two winged creatures supporting a shield.

The novel was a prize for needlework given to Joan Eastland in July 1938.

I hope Joan enjoyed reading the book.

I first read The Scarlet Pimpernel years ago and, after watching adaptations of Baroness Orczy's famous tale,  had forgotten how the book ended.

The novel is written from the omniscient author's viewpoint and jumped from one person to another without spoiling my enjoyment although the style is so old-fashioned.

However, when I read the following, which I imagine made Joan's heart beat faster, I wondered how modern readers react to it.

"He (Percy Blakeney, The Scarlet Pimpernel) was  but a man madly, blindly, passionately in love, and as soon as her (his wife's) light footstep had died away within the house, he knelt down upon the terrace steps, and in the very madness of his love he kissed one by one the places where her small foot had trodden, and the stone balustrade there, where her tiny hand rested last."

After I read it, I could not help wondering if any man really would kiss the ground his beloved had stepped on.

Guest Blogger

I am a guest at the following blogspots. If you would like to, please visit them and leave a comment.

http://www.katie1carrol.com/blog and http://wendylaharnar.blogspot.com.au2014/02/yy-its-party-time-book-launch.html

The Captain and The Countess

I'm delighted to let all of you know that today my novel, The Captain and The Countess,  has been published. The novel is set in England in the reign of Queen Anne Stuart 1702-1714. You can see the book cover and read the first chapter etc., on line.

 

The novel is available from: MuseItUp Publishing - Amazon - Smashwords - Omnilit - All Romance & Coffeetime Romance.

 

All the best,

Rosemary Morris

Historical Novelist

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

http://rosemarymorris.blogspot.com

www.rosemarymorris.com/writerinagarret

Recycling Arts Project

I took my grandson aged eight and my granddaughter aged four to an event at the library. It was organised by the local Recycling Arts Project aka Your Ideas Ware house. The items used to create fruit and vegetables were made from stuff thrown out by local industry. The local branch of the national scrapstore network is available for creative reuse in artistic and practical projects.

The children made a leek and a large purple plum, which they chose to take home to show their mother instead of adding them to a painted rural landscape, with a large tree with branches on which fruit could be hung.

The stock at the centre changes regularly. Items available include:foam,strapping, fabric, tiles, cardboard tubes, wadding, acrylic off-cuts etc., as well as cards, papers, foils and the unexpected.

I think its well worth £15 a year for unlimited help yourself supplies for my grandchildren to use creatively.

The centre also runs themed making sessions using materials from the warehouse.