Growing Tomatoes

At last, a sunny day after several chilly, rainy days. I took advantage of it after I completed the self-imposed quota of words for my new novel.  I sowed a row of radish seeds and then cut off the foliage on the tomato plants in the front garden so that the plants would put all their energy into the fruit.. Short of time earlier in the year I planted the pot grown tomatoes in the front garden, but from then on did not have time to nurture them. More recently I discovered masses of tomatoes on the plants that were sprawled over the ground. I shoved stakes into the earth and tied the plants to them. Today I picked a few ripe ones. Hopefully, more will ripen before the first frost is forecast. If they do, I'll have the best harvest I've ever had and might stop growing any in the green house. Cross fingers the crop won't be ruined by tomato blight. I think I'll make a tomato sandwich to eat at teatime.

Productive Day

Very productive day. Off to a good start with the novel when everything fell into place as I wrote. I might hate it when I revise, but for now I'm pleased. Early in the day the sun shone so I decided to sow radishes and winter lettuce after I finished working on the novel. To my annoyance it poured with rain. Housebound, I made five pounds of apple chutney. I also simmered rosehips and apples to make rosehip jelly. The juice is now dripping through a jelly bag.

Missing Heroine

I worked on my novel for longer than usual. Afterwards something niggled at the back of my mind while I collected a prescription from the doctor's surgery, had it filled in at the chemist and then withdrew some money from the bank. I hurried home to greet son number two whose birthday is today. Off we went to my favourite vegetarian restaurant, Sakonis, in Harrow. As usual the food was delicious. While enjoying both the meal and my son's company, I realised what was wrong the part I wrote this morning. The hero attends a dinner at his parents' house to which, I realised, the heroine should have been invited. Tomorrow, much to her relief and my own she will be there.

Almost Wasted Day

Apart from being on target with my new novel, today has been unsatisfactory.  Yesterday I went for a deep tissue massage. This morning when I woke I ached all over and some of my joints hurt. Nevertheless, I forced myself to make a birthday cake for son number two. I tried a vegan recipe in this month's edition of Asda's free magazine. It includes maple syrup, dates and pecans. The flavour is delicious but the cake is heavy. I weighed all the ingredients carefully, followed the instructions and backed it in a pre-heated oven. After lunch, because the after effects of the deep tissue massages always make me tired on the following day I continued reading Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George and then had a nap.

Nature's Bounty

After a weekend at my youngest son's house I brought home four pounds of blackberries picked in the woods behind his house. I also came back with a couple of pounds of rosehips from his garden with which I shall make either rosehip syrup or jelly. In addition to the blackberries and rosehips I brought home a large bag of apples from his garden. Added to those from my four apple trees if they store well I'll be lucky. Unfortunately, the internet service at my son's house is  pedestrian.  Yesterday, I was busy so I did not post any messages. Today I got on with writing Tuesday's Child before making four pounds of blackberry and apple jam, after which I went for a deep tissue massage.  Tomorrow, as the masseuse suggested I should take things easy.

Tuesday's Child - Introducing the Back Story

My new sweet Regency Novel is a follow on novel from Sunday's Child published by MuseItUpPublishing. The heroine is one of the characters in Sunday's Child. It is essential to include some of her back story. Although I didn't intend revise the novel until I finished the first draft I realised that I needed another way to present the back story to the reader. After worrying about it while I wrote 22,600 words, I realised the best thing to do would be to write a prologue with the relevant, but amended, text taken from Sunday's Child. I drafted the prologue this morning and think I've solved the problem.

Writing a New Novel - New Technique

This is the first time that I have written the first draft of a novel without revising and editing each chapter after I have finished it. It is also the first time that I have not researched details as I write. For example I referred to a child riding a pony and wrote pony in bold. When I revise the novel I will research ponies and name the breed which he is riding. I am nervous, but if I can stick to my target to write a set number of words every day the first draft of my novel, Tuesday's Child, which will be approximately, 95,000 words, should be finished in late December or early January. At the moment real life has intervened so I'm 1,800 words behind, and this weekend I'm visiting my youngest son and his children. Hopefully, I will manage to fit in some writing.

Writing, Gardening

The sun's shining today. It's not too hot and there's pleasant breeze. I couldn't resist cutting an hour off my writing time and getting on in the garden. I transplanted hollyhocks grown from seed. They are biennials but if they are cut back to the ground after flowering they should thrive for several years.  I've planted them against the wall in two beds in the front garden. Their spires of flowers should make a splash of colour next summer. I also transplanted alpine strawberries grown from seed in the greenhouse.. I panted a double row which form a miniature hedge. The delicious  taste of their small fruit always lingers in the mouth.  I'll catch up with my writing schedule this evening.

Excuses for Not Writing

Shame on me I haven't posted here or blogged for two days or met my writing targets for several reasons. First of all I was engrossed in a historical novel, which held out the promise of a new slant on the Princes in the Tower of London allegedly murdered by Richard III. Bitterly disappointed because the slant was not new. Secondly, surprise visitors took up most of my time. They were welcome but prevented me from meeting my writing targets. Finally, yesterday I prepared a la...rge marrow to make marrow and ginger jam, cooked a huge pasta for daughter's children who will come to tea after school, picked apples and pears and did so much more. In the afternoon I went on line to order a repeat prescription, and to order winter lettuce and radish seeds. In the evening I read Grow Your Own from beginning to end and began to read the latest edition of Writing Magazine.

Daily Writing Target

It's now 10.15 a.m. With time out for breakfast, which included a delicious peach from the mini-tree in my greenhouse, I've been writing and dealing with 'writerly' matters for four hours. I have written just over 20,000 words of my sweet Regency Novel Tuesday's Child so I have met my daily target. The sun is shining, I'll be meeting up with most of my family at a festival so it's time to turn off the laptop.

Busy Day and My Writing Schedule

A very early start this morning followed by a busy day, but I'm pleased because, this evening, I've written my daily quota of words for my new, sweet Regency Romance, Tuesday's Child, a follow on novel from Sunday's Child, and Monday's Child which will be published in spring 2016. Phew!

Deep Tissue Massage, Rest, Tuesday's Child.

Yesterday, due to various minor but annoying aches and pains, I had a full body deep tissue massage. It's relieved most of those little miseries but afterwards I was very sleepy. In the evening I watched Jerry Hall in Who Do You Think You Are but couldn't keep my eyes open. Half way through the program I gave up and went to bed. The masseur told me to take things very easy today and I'm pleased to do so as I'm still sleepy. So I've been researching old English Villages for my new novel Tuesday's Child. I'm now about to meet my daily writing target.

Snippets from A Country Parson. James Woodforde's Diary. Two Drunk Pigs.

April 15, 17778. “Brewed a vessel of strong Beer today. My two large Piggs (sic), by drinking some beer grounds taking out of one of my Barrels today, got so amazingly drunk by it, that they were not able to stand and appeared like dead things almost, and so remained all night from dinner time today. I never saw Piggs so drunk in my life, I slit their ears for them without feeling.”

 Which leads me to the question: Why did Parson Woodforde slit their ears. Tut tut, today, what would the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have to say about that?

 April 16, 1778 “My two Piggs (sic) are still unable to walk yet, but they are better than they were yesterday. They tumble about the yard and can by no means stand at all steady yet. In the afternoon my 2 Piggs (sic) were tolerably sober.”

 I wonder if the pigs also had hangovers.

 May 21, 1778. “I walked up to the White Hart with Mr Lewis and Bill to see a famous Woman in Men’s Cloathes (sic), by name Hannah Snell, who was 21 years as a common soldier in the Army, and not discovered by any as a woman. Cousin Lewis has mounted guard with her abroad. She went into the Army by the name of John Gray. She has a Pension from the Crown now of 18.5.0 per annum and the liberty of wearing Men’s Coathes and also a Cockade in her Hat, which she still wears. She has laid in a room with 70 soldiers and not discovered by any of them. The forefinger of her right hand was cut by a Sword at the taking of Pondicherry. She is now about 60 years of age and talks very sensible and well, and travels the country with a Basket at her back, selling Buttons, Garters, laces etc. I took 4 Pr of 4d Buttons and gave her 0.2.6.”

 What would the Ministry of Defence make of her today?

A Country Parson:James Woodforde's Diary 1759-1802

With great enjoyment I am reading A Country Parson. James Woodforde's Diary 1759 - 1802. I hope you will find the snippets interesting.
February 3rd, 1768.

"...One Sarah Gore, came to see me this morning and brought me an instrument from the Court of Wells, to perform publick (sic) Pennance next Sunday at C. Cary Church for having a child, which I am to administer to her publickly (sic) next Sunday after Divine Service."
...

My mind boggles about what Human Rights Ativists would say if this happened today.

" March 29, 1777 ...Andrews the smuggler brought to me this night about 11 o' clock a bagg (sic) of Hyson Tea 6 Pd weight. He frightened us a little by whistling under the Parlour Window just as we were going to bed. I gave him some Geneva and paid him for the tea at 10/6 per Pd."

Well, smuggling tea was definitely preferable to today's People Smugglers.

"July 22, 1777 Robert Biggen for stealing Potatoes was this afternoon whipp'd thro' the streets of Cary by the Hangman at the end of a Cart. He was whipped from the George Inn to the Angel, from thence back thro' the street to the Royal Oak in South Cary and so back to the George Inn. He being an old offender there was a collection of 0.17.6 given to the Hangman to do him justice. But it was not much for all that-the Hangman was an old Man and a most villainous looking Fellow indeed. For my part I would not contribute one Farthing to it."

My mind is suffering from the equivalent of shell shock at the thought of modern day Human Rights Activists having a field day if this happened now. Can you imagine the publicity in the media?

A New Method to Write Novels.

To write my sweet Regency  novel, Tuesday's Child I have changed my method. I have decided how many words I need to write a day in order to finish the first draft, which will be approximately 95,000 words. Previously, before I began to write the next part I would read the previous day's output. Now I continue without revising or editing. Also, instead of simultaneously researching and writing, I am now noting the need to research something in bold. I hope that by changing my method I will complete and submit Tuesday's Child more quickly than I finished and submitted my previous novels. It's a bit scary writing like this but I'm hoping it will be worthwhile.

Apples and Plums

After torrential rain today I ventured out to pick ripe apples and plums from the trees in the garden. The fruit is delicious. The apples crisp and sweet, the plums sweet and juicy. And, for a change, this year there aren't many wasps buzzing around the plums.

'Writerly' Activities and Family

Must confess I've neglected 'writerly' activities. It's still the school holidays so, on Friday, I had the pleasure of three of my grandchildren's company for the day. In the evening my daughter joined us at dinner. I served a vegetarian version of a Boston three bean bake with creamy mashed potatoes and a blackberry and apple pie with cream for dessert. Yesterday, guiltily aware that I had not met my writing target for the previous day I doubled up on the number of words that I usually write. I exceeded the target for Tuesday's Child, my new sweet romantic historical. I then indulged in reading for the rest of the day. Daughter's children are back at my house for the night. They are sleeping like angels. Today, we are going to lunch at our favourite vegetarian restaurant, Sakonis in Harrow.

Writing Target, Cooking, Cook in A Stately Home

This morning I met my writing target earlier than usual. After breakfast I nipped out to get some milk and take some money out of the bank.

After I came home I made 4lbs of redcurrant jelly. (I didn't have time to make it before I went on holiday at the end of July, so I boiled the redcurrants with the correct amount of water, strained it through muslin and put the liquid in the freezer.) Next I made a blackberry and apple pie, after which I made more mango ice-cream - the g...randchildren will really love me this year as its their favourite homemade ice cream. I then made my lunch, a vegetable pie, sweetcorn, potatoes, gravy and home grown runner beans. By the time the kitchen was clean and tidy I needed to put my feet up after I ate.

How did a cook in a stately home cope? Meals for the upper class and dinner parties etc., as well as meals for the servants. No electric gadgets such as food mixers and blenders, no fridges, freezers and dishwashers. Ranges fuelled by wood or coal etc. etc. How on earth did the cook keep going even if she had kitchen staff?

Rainy Day

Yesterday, the weather didn't look too bad but the minute after I hung the washing on the line in the garden it started to rain. I left it on the line overnight. Today the rain poured as though a monsoon had arrived. The laundry's still outside. Unable to finish tidying up the front garden, I made more plum cordial and mango ice cream as well as starting to tidy my office aka the spare bedroom.

Which Are the Correct Classification of my Novels?

I write novels set in times past. I agonise over how to describe them. The hero and heroine are imaginary but they are not 21st century people dressed in costume. The novels  are romances enriched with historical facts and  social history. My hero and heroine's bedroom door is never wide open. So, how should I describe my books? Are the historical novels, historical romances or romantic historicals? And which term is the best to describe them - traditional, sweet or clean? I want to send a clear message to potential readers.