Freezing Cold Birthday Party

Yesterday, to celebrate my 7 year-old grandson's birthday his parents arranged a party at Dunstable Downs, a popular place to fly kites due to the favourable winds. The view of countryside from the top of the downs is spectacular, and The Visitor Centre serves refreshments and various items including books.

However, it was freezing yesterday and I was glad to make forays into the Visitor Centre to get warm. But the children, nine cousins, really enjoyed themselves and watching a flotilla of kites rise and dip was amazing.

Special Offers - Final Week - Rosemary Morris's Historical Novels

Special Offers – Final Week

 

MuseItUp Publishing is celebrating its 4 Year Anniversary with 50% to 80% OFF specials until the 31^st October.

 

The Link is.

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/component/content/article/3-about/about-us/470-museitup-4-year-anniversary-specials#top

 

My historical novels are included in the special offers.

 

Far Beyond Rubies. 50%off  £1.90   $3.09

 

Tangled Love. 50% off.  £1.84   $2.99

 

The Captain and The Countess 50% off  £1.90   $3.09

 

Sunday’s Child  80% off  £0.77p   $1.25

 

My novels are set in the early 18^th & 19^th centuries.

 

Visit www.rosemarymorris.co.uk to read the first three chapters of each novel and view the book trailers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Healthy Lunch

I'm not on a crash diet but I do want to lose weight and eat healthily.

For lunch I had organic spaghetti with a sauce I made earlier in the year and put in the freezer - 60% tomatoes, a leek, carrots, green pepper, oregano and basil from my organic garden. Desert was vegetarian yoghurt with a desert spoon of organic honey. To wash it all down I drank a glass of water with a desert spoon full of organic cold pressed cider vinegar.

Healthy Breakfast

I don't want to go hungry. I do want to lose weight and eat healthily.

First thing in the morning I squeeze the juice of an unwaxed lemon and add the juice to a glass of hot water. At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to drink it without adding organic honey, but now that I'm used to it I find it refreshing.

For breakfast I have organic porridge made with almond milk to which I add three fruits and a little sugar substitute. Today I added black grapes, strawberries and raspberries. Delicious.

Serious Accident - Innocent Party

My daughter was driving behind a car in front of which another car had broken down and switched on the hazard lights. At the last minute the car ahead of my daughter changed lanes and my daughter's car crashed into it. The car is a write off. She asked the woman why she didn't indicate that she was about to change lanes. The answer. "The sun was in my eyes so I didn't see the hazard lights." It's a cliché but the law is an ass. Because my daughter hit the back of the other car her insurance company told her she is automatically judged to be the guilty party. Needless to say she was in a state of shock but, thank God she was not hurt.

Herb Bed

My house is being cladded which will make it warmer and reduce the heating bills and condensation.
Two long narrow beds underneath the dining room and sitting room windows had to be dug up so I'm planning what to plant. I have decided to plant herbs in one. I shall sow sun flowers, dill and angelica at the back. In the centre I'll plant the marjoram, thyme, etc., which I have been growing in pots and at the front a row of pretty flowers according to season, ones with edible flowers.

What are you reading?

My 5 year-old granddaughter has a boxed collection of Beatrice Potter's books. Yesterday evening she chose The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes for her bedtime story. She was so responsive and enjoyed the tale so much that it was a pleasure reading to her. When I finished she took the book and went through it admiring and commenting on the pictures and repeating some of the phrases.

What are we reading?

My 5 year-old granddaughter has a boxed collection of Beatrice Potter's books. Yesterday evening she chose The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes for her bedtime story. She was so responsive and enjoyed the tale so much that it was a pleasure reading to her. When I finished she took the book and went through it admiring and commenting on the pictures and repeating some of the phrases.

What are we reading?

My 5 year-old granddaughter has a boxed collection of Beatrice Potter's books. Yesterday evening she chose The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes for her bedtime story. She was so responsive and enjoyed the tale so much that it was a pleasure reading to her. When I finished she took the book and went through it admiring and commenting on the pictures and repeating some of the phrases.

What Have We Been Doing This Week?

Apart from writing and 'writerly activities' I caught up with the laundry, tidied the whole house, shopped, cooked and paid bills. Not very interesting. I also dealt with the workmen who put up scaffolding, and removed things from the walls, replaced drainpipes and guttering etc., etc. Definitely not interesting.

I read and reviewed My Heart Still Surrenders by Robbi Perna a fictional life of her Italian great-great-great grandmother a Contessa during the struggled to unify Italy,  and Love in the Afternoon by Penny Vincenzi a collection of short stories.

I supervised two of my grandchildren's swimming lessons, delighted by the progress both of them are making. (I think swimming lessons should be compulsory in schools.) 

I stayed overnight at my daughter's house so I  could give my 5 year-old granddaughter her birthday presents in the morning.

On Saturday night I stayed at one of my d-i-l's house to look after two of her children while she and her older son attended a quiz night at his secondary school. Before I went home we went to lunch at a Chinese vegetarian restaurant where we could eat as much as se wanted to. The food was delicious so it was hard not to over eat.

Today, I'm looking after my daughter's three children. This morning I took her younger son to play in a football match. His team won 4 - 1 and he saved half a dozen goals. His 5 year old sister, dressed in a green and yellow Tinkerbell Dress with pink Fairy wings fastened to it, had a drink and some biscuits in the club house. To occupy her I took her gigantic set of crayons, pencils and felt pens and a Princess Fairy colouring book.  She insisted on me doing some colouring. Deep sigh because I felt a fool sitting there colouring the little mermaid's face purple. She chose the colours, I did the hard work.

I returned to my daughter's house, gave them lunch  and then supervised homework. I've now allowed them to play on their gadgets until three p.m., when I'm sending them out to get some fresh air in the garden. Well, we might as well take advantage of the mild weather. At 4 p.m. the boys must finish their homework and then it will be some time before my daughter comes home, by which time they will probably be in bed.

So, what did you do this week?

Editing, adverbs and cliches.

This morning I edited the revised chapter of my novel Monday's Child, the follow on novel from Sunday's Child set in the Regency. When I write I try not to use certain words too frequently, some of which are 'as', 'that,' 'because', and others. I also try to minimise my use of adverbs. However, I wasn't prepared for how many clichés had slipped into the chapter. I've removed them, read the chapter aloud and am now ready to write the next one.

Planning a Novel

I've nearly finished writing Monday's Child, the sequel to Sunday's Child, set in 1814. I am now planning the next follow on novel, Tuesday's Child, who is full of grace'. I realised the heroine I first character I chose, who appeared in Monday's child lacks inner grace. After much thought I selected the right character to be the heroine, who had a walk on but very important part in Monday's Child. She is not a beauty but moves and acts with grace. Phew! That's sorted.

Book Trailer of The Contess and The Captain Uploaded.

I am delighted because the book trailer of my novel, The Captain and The Countess, set in the reign of Queen Anne Stuart, has been uploaded onto my website. www.rosemarymorris.co.uk, where you can also read the first three chapters of the novel.

P.S. At the moment there is 50% off the price of The Captain and The Countess from MuseItUp Publishing, www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com.

Interesting interview

I am delighted by my interview at: http://margaretfieland.com/blog1/2014/10/15/rosemary-morris-interview-oct-15/

However I am mortified  because my brain tricked me into writing that Napoleon escaped from Brussels. Of course, he did not. I'm also mortified because I misspelt lives.

Apart from that I hope you will enjoy the interview, I enjoyed answering the questions.

Writing and Rainy Days

I enjoy organic gardening as much as I enjoy writing historical fiction. Unless the weather is really bad I usually manage to do something or other in the garden. However, when it pours with rain and I don't want to dash in and out of the greenhouse, it's good to stay indoors writing or tidying up my office. On other occasions I tidy up the entire house.

Writing and Rainy Days

I enjoy organic gardening as much as I enjoy writing historical fiction. Unless the weather is really bad I usually manage to do something or other in the garden. However, when it pours with rain and I don't want to dash in and out of the greenhouse, it's good to stay indoors writing or tidying up my office. On other occasions I tidy up the entire house.

Kill Your Darlings.

I only have a few more chapters of Monday's Child, a follow on novel from my published traditional Regency Novel Sunday's Child to write, but the most recent one didn't read well. I've had to murder my darling - a twist in the plot that I wanted to use but I had to kill it. This morning, I wrote half of the new version, which reads much better, but it was very hard to relinquish my darling idea. Nevertheless, having made the decision I feel liberated.

Plotting and Rewriting My Novels

I don't plot my novels in detail, but I usually have some important scenes in mind. I only have a few more chapters to write before I finish Monday's Child, a traditional Regency novel, the follow on from my published novel, Sunday's Child. Unfortunately, a scene I really wanted to include when I wrote it doesn't work. Deep, deep sigh, I'll have to rewrite it using different circumstances. I find it very hard to - as the saying goes - kill my darlings.

Special Offer. 80% off Sunday's Child Traditional Regency Novel

 

 

Sunday’s Child by Rosemary Morris

Back Cover

Georgianne Whitley’s beloved father and brothers died in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte. While she is grieving for them, she must deal with her unpredictable mother’s sorrow, and her younger sisters’ situation caused by it.

Georgianne’s problems increase when the arrogant, wealthy but elderly Earl of Pennington, proposes marriage to her for the sole purpose of being provided with an heir. At first she is tempted by his proposal, but something is not quite right about him. She rejects him not suspecting it will lead to unwelcome repercussions.

Once, Georgianne had wanted to marry an army officer. Now, she decides never to marry ‘a military man’ for fear he will be killed on the battlefield. However, Georgianne still dreams of a happy marriage before unexpected violence forces her to relinquish the chance to participate in a London Season sponsored by her aunt

Shocked and in pain, Georgianne goes to the inn where her cousin Sarah’s step-brother, Major Tarrant, is staying, while waiting for the blacksmith to return to the village and shoe his horse. Recently, she has been reacquainted with Tarrant—whom she knew when in the nursery—at the vicarage where Sarah lives with her husband Reverend Stanton.

The war in the Iberian Peninsula is nearly at an end so, after his older brother’s death, Tarrant, who was wounded, returns to England where his father asks him to marry and produce an heir.

To please his father, Tarrant agrees to marry, but due to a personal tragedy he has decided never to father a child.

When Georgianne, arrives at the inn, quixotic Tarrant sympathises with her unhappy situation. Moreover, he is shocked by the unforgivably brutal treatment she has suffered.

Full of admiration for her beauty and courage Tarrant decides to help Georgianne.

 MuseItUp Publishing is celebrating its 4 Year Anniversary with 50% to 80% OFF specials until the 31^st October.

The Link is.

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/component/content/article/3-about/about-us/470-museitup-4-year-anniversary-specials#top

 

Sunday’s Child a traditional Regency romance, which has received *5reviews is available with a 50% special offer for £0.77p or $1.29.

 

Visit www.rosemarymorris.co.uk to read the first three chapters of each novel and view the book trailers.

 

I would be delighted to receive comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disruption

Starting on Monday the exterior of my house will be cladded and the scaffolding will go up. The flower beds under the sitting room and dining room windows have been cleared and the climbing hydrangea at the side of the house has been cut down. Hopefully it will regrow. This morning I emptied my 8' x 10' greenhouse. The work will be completed in three weeks. I assume chaos will reign, disturb my writing routine and make it difficult to ready the garden for the winter. However, it will be worthwhile because there will be less condensation indoors and the house will be warmer when the job is completed