Nothing Added to Monday's Child Today

I was up early and settled at the laptop. I opened the file titled Monday's Child. The cursor wouldn't move. I then read a message from Microsoft which informed me that I did not have a licence to use Microsoft. What a hassle! However I'm lucky because my twin sons own an IT company. One of their technicians sorted out the problem. While he did so I had plenty of time to think about the plot and check a few historical facts, so my time wasn't entirely wasted.

Why I Deleted 1000 Words of my Novel

I had written over 2000 words of Chapter 33 of Monday's Child, the sequel to my traditional Regency novel, Sunday's Child.. This morning I wrote another 1000 words. Throughout the day I thought about them. With a deep sigh, I decided to scrap them. It's a painful decision but the right one because I allowed the principal characters to go off stage. I took a deep breath and took action, Today's 1000 words has been deleted.

Christmas is Coming

My 12 year-old grandson's birthday was on Friday. He partied with his cousins earlier in the week and wanted to spend the evening with his parents, siblings and grandmothers. As well as money I gave him a football annual, which was a great success as he enjoys playing football and has his favourite team etc. After dinner, we watched Life of Pi - not a film I want to watch again but my son, daughter-in-law and the three children enjoyed it, but like me his other grandmother was not keen on it. I stayed overnight. In the morning my daughter-in-law and I went Christmas and birthday shopping in St Albans. My 9 year-old granddaughter is having her ears pierced on Friday to celebrate her 10th birthday so we chose a pair of earrings for me to give her then and another pair for her Christmas present. In between shopping we had morning coffee, lunched and chatted before we went home. Next I went to my youngest son's house to babysit and stayed for the night. En route to their house I stopped in the village to have a look in the charity shops. I collect blue and white china and was tempted to buy a coffee pot but decided it was too pricey. On the following morning I was still tempted to buy it, if it had not been sold, but again decided not to. I don't regret my decision. Yesterday, the soon-to-be birthday girl came over with her 7 year-old brother to decorate my Christmas tree. She has been doing this for a few years and said she will even do so when she is 13. Obviously, that age is a milestone in her mind. She has her favourite decorations and oohs and ahs over them every year. This morning I had my hair cut and coloured, shopped for groceries and then dropped in at my daughter's house to give her a few bits and bobs she asked me to buy for her. Soon I'll be getting ready for Watford Writers' annual Christmas Dinner. I'm enjoying real life and metaphorically patting myself on the back because I am adding a thousand words a day to Monday's Child. As I write the most moving parts I am still wiping tears from my eyes. It took me a little longer to write today than usual because I researched nightwear. Mind you, I write traditional historical novels in which the bedroom door does not open more than an inch or two.

Tears While Writing.

While writing Chapter Thirty-Three of Monday's Child tears came to my eyes when I described my heroine's reaction to... On second thoughts I won't reveal the details.

Carol Service

This evening I returned home impressed by the carol service which my ten year old grandson participated in. Holy Rood Church was packed with parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. Children read passages from the Bible, in between carols both traditional and modern. 240 children took part and as I watched I wondered what their futures held and said a prayer for them. Tomorrow they will be singing in a local shopping mall. God bless them one and all.

Extraordinary Vegetarian Meal.

Grandson, who is also a strict vegetarian who does not eat, eggs, fish or meat, described one of the meals served at the hostel where he stayed on a school trip. Mashed potato with fried onions on top served with apple sauce.

Time to Write and Christmas

I want to finish writing Monday's Child by the 31st of December but am worried because it might be impossible. To avoid the Christmas rush I spent the better part of the last two days shopping. Yes, I could shop on line but last year some presents didn't arrive on time. I enjoy the season but it's very time consuming. I now have to wrap all the presents, including three birthday presents, decorating the Christmas tree etc. As well as all this, weather permitting, I have some jobs to get on with in the garden.

Research - Imnportance of Minor Detail

I can hardly believe how long it took me this morning to choose a regiment which a minor character in Monday's Child, a traditional Regency novel, joined. It must have taken me over half an hour to check non fiction books, on line and photo copies. However, it is worthwhile because I want to get all the details right.

New Resolution & Writing & Christmas Shopping.

No, I haven't made a premature New Year's resolution. I did some Christmas shopping today and chose a desk diary and a pocket diary. There is so much more to being an author than writing books. So I have made a resolution to enter all the writing related activities I need to do every day. In other words, I have made up my mind to be more organised.

Penultimate Chapter & Research.

I had decided to write an epilogue after completing Chapter Thirty-One of my historical Monday's Child, but decided my readers would feel cheated. So I'm now writing Chapter Thirty-Two. I've completed my research and typed up all the important points. I did this for Chapter Thirty-one which meant I could write without constantly referring to non-fiction books. However, to write eight pages I have sixteen pages of notes. I hope that all the facts are correct and I can slip those I use into the novel. I hope to complete Chapter Thirty-Two this week and then write an epilogue.

Flash Fiction - Sharks & Violet Large

The topic for flash fiction at Watford Writers for this evening is Sharks. Violet Large often sends me junk mail. I took time off from researching and writing my novel to write a 350 word flash fiction story called Angel in Heaven. The big fish enjoyed being in a big pond offering protection and earning enough to look after Mum, buy a large house and send the kids to public school. The angel in heaven is Mum who was a regular church goer. The big fish goes to confession regularly to keep in with Him Up There and receives absolution. At the end of the piece the police arrive at the house to arrest Violet Large. I was pleased with my effort and prepared to print it. In spite of saving it on the lap top in desktop and a word document as well as saving on the usb key it had vanished. I tried to find it in the recycle bin and everywhere else I could think of without success. I could swear.

The Holly - Garden Bells The Magic of Herbs, Trees and Flowers

As well as The Potted Bay I blogged about yesterday I have a holly bush. This what Claire Nahmad, whose states her great-grandmother was a wise woman, writes in her book, Garden Spells The Magic of Herbs, Trees and Flowers, about holly.


"The handsome holly is a lucky tree, for it affirms life, and is a symbol of undiminishing vitality. Ensure that it has a place in your garden for its glowing green presence wards of unfriendly spirits. The Holly man lives in the tree that bears prickly holly, and the Holly Woman dwells within that which gives forth smooth and variegated leaves. The first is lucky for men, the second for women. Do not burn holly branches unless they are well and truly dead, for this is unlucky."


An Ale and Holly spell follows.


As I read this I imagined a young married couple in times past planting two holly trees and then casting the spell.


To be on the safe side I might be cautious when disposing of holly branches.

Bay - The Herb

Whenever I re-arrange books on their shelves, it's often  a pleasant surprise to find one I've forgotten about. I collect non-fiction on many subjects because, as an author, I never know when they might come in useful.


Today, I found Garden Spells:The Magic of Herbs, Trees and Flowers by Clare Nahmad.


I have a potted Bay Tree that my daughter bought me last Christmas that is flourishing, so I enjoyed the following quote.


"Wherever the bay flourishes, that garden and the dwelling it graces are protected from flash and flood. It is a tree of the old gods, a tree of the Lord, and its spirit is valiant. Its fragrance and essence celebrate holy valour and human triumph. Take bay leaves in your food or make of them a tisane (one teaspoon of the herb to a cup of boiling water) for they have properties which heal and restore."


I frequently make tea from herbs in my garden. So far I haven't made bay tea but I shall try it.

Special Offer. Only for 5 Days. 5 Traditional Historical Novels in 1 Bundle.

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False Pretences.  Annabelle runs away from school into the arms of a charismatic gentleman…but can she trust him to help her?

 

Far Beyond Rubies  When their eyes first meet, Gervaise’s soul recognises Juliana’s and from that moment on, their destinies become inevitably entwined.

 

Sunday’s Child  If Major Tarrant expects Sunday’s Child, a Regency lady, to be a ‘bread and butter’ Miss he will be surprised.

 

Tangled Love  The throne has been usurped by James II’s daughter and son-in-law, Mary and William of Orange. In 1693, loyal to his oath of allegiance, ten year-old Richelda’s father must follow James to France.

 

The Captain and The Countess.  His heart captured by the Countess only Captain Howard sees pain behind her fashionable façade and is determined to help her.

 

 

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New Twist on a Christmas Carol

My just 5 year old granddaughter came home delighted with the carol she and her class are learning at reception. Unfortunately she misunderstood the words. "Mary and Jessica's baby Jesus is born..." she sang. We burst into laughter and told her it should be Mary and Joseph. She  burst into tears and said it really is Mary and Jessica. I hope her voice singing Jessica won't come across loud and clear at the carol service.

Monday's Child. Epilogue

This morning, I finished writing Chapter Thirty-One of Monday's Child, a traditional historical novel set in the Regency era. It is a stand alone novel in which some of the characters from my published novel, Sunday's Child, take part.


I spent the rest of the day considering the book and realised that all I have left to write is an Epilogue.


By the end of the next week I will have finished Monday's Child and can then begin revising and editing it.

Historical Accuracy While Writing Fiction

I've reached a complicated chapter in my novel in which I need the geographical features, proposed plans and timeline to be correct. I read the relevant parts of five historical non-fiction books and made notes, but I still didn't have a clear picture in my head. So, after considerable thought, I wrote chapter headings and typed up the relevant information under each titl3. Next I made a list of things my protagonists would do, and their reactions to events as they occurred in sequence, in each chapter and finished by typing up a few quotes from historical personages.


For the last three days I've been working on Chapter Thirty-One. Thanks to my notes everything, as the saying goes, has fallen into place.

Learning to Read.

My just five year-old granddaughter is learning to read. For homework she has the following. She has a card with coloured pictures and the letters of the alphabet plus ch, ff etc. She also has cardboard cut outs in the shape of pencils with a few words on each one e.g. oh, on, to etc. Finally she has first readers with one sentence on each page. E.g. Look at Mum.


The other day when I was helping her she said. "This is hard work but I've got a good idea, grandma. You read and I'll listen."

What am I reading?

This year, I made a note of the novels shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Awards and the finalists with the intention of reading them all.  As well as some others I have now read 222 pages out of 390 pages of Just for Christmas by Scarlet Bailey.


Just for Christmas is a fast-paced, contemporary novel quite different to the historical fiction which is usually my first choice. However, it's always interesting to try different genres etc., by authors whose books I have not previously read.


So far I'm enjoying this novel about Alex who moves from Edinburgh to Cornwall when the love of her life decides to marry another girl. She moves into a cottage in which a smelly, scruffy dog, who regards it as his personal property, refuses to allow her to sleep on the only bed.


I'm anticipating and hoping for a happy ever after ending.


My thanks to Scarlet Bailey for an entertaining read which I will review on Amazon and Good Reads.

More Painful Decluttering

My collection of Solander and Historical Novel's Reviews dates back to 2006. Unfortunately, I don't have the space to keep all the books and magazines I've collected, so painful as it is, I am leafing through my copies of Solander and Historical Novel's Reviews and getting red of most of them. I've enjoyed re-reading many of the articles but it really is time to part with them. Deep sigh. Oh for a huge library with bookshelves from floor to ceiling on all four walls.