On words that don't make sense

 At the moment I'm writing a rom com. My hero and heroine are Scottish, even though part of the story is set in Hong Kong. I have to be very careful what I write and there is a fair bit of deleting and rewriting when I've maybe put a bit too much dialect in. 

It's a bit like one of my typos, I know what I mean, others might not.

It's all vey well saying things most people understand like wee for tiny, and aye for yes, but when you realise you've a whole conversation with things like 'away and bile yer heid', 'high heid yin', and 'awfy braw', it's time to think, hold on... Maybe less is more.

What do you think? I do like to add 'local colour' because to me it adds to my mental vision of the story, but I know some people aren't keen.

But sorry, if the story is set in the north east of England you'll get a 'why aye,' and in Scotland maybe a bairn.

That's how I work. I guess you could say, I write how I like to read.

Meanwhile back to the last few K of my WIP, where the local pub has told my hero to 'haud yer wheesht'

(source, pinterest)

He has and is not saying a word.

Happy Reading,

love Raven xx

Pondering on titles—as you do

 Morning all, (or hi, whatever time of the day it is with you)

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about book titles. Specifically mine. Or maybe that should say a title that I can't decide on. It's sending me up the wall. 

The problem is it's the third book in a series. I can't say a lot about it yet, because even though my publisher's have hinted they want it—or want to see the first chapter when it is written—which is great—until I sign on the dotted line...you get the idea.

I shouldn't even be thinking about it yet. I need to crack on with finishing book two, which does have a title. But the unknown title and the need for it to be known woke me up in the middle of the night. 

Most annoying, as I was dreaming about sitting under a big sun umbrella, sipping a mojito and enjoying the sunset, somewhere. The dream didn't specify the location!

Anyway, it's why I'm up at silly o'clock instead of getting some more sleep. Which means by half way through the evening, i'll be dozing on the settee and the lovely husband will nudge me and say why don't I go to bed. But if I do, I'll wake up early again, and not be able to get back to sleep and...

However as I am up and I still can't think of a title (I fancy The Unexpected Wake up or even the Why am I worrying about something so soon and getting up... 

However for now, I'm calling it—book three!

And having coffee

Happy reading,

love Raven xxx

It's celebration time...Have you seen? Christmastime is Here is out now!

 YAY, dance, sing and jiggle about,

this year's Cassie and Raven's Christmas book is out

And look at the gorgeous cover

 (yes, I cheated and put the paperback cover up, so you can read the blurbs as well.)

Totally in love with these stories, we both had such fun writing them. The lovely Emmy Ellis edited them and designed the fabulous cover. Great isn't it?

This is our third Christmas collaboration, and thank you everyone who buys any of them and reviews the books. We really appreciate your support.

And hint hint if you've read these we both write together for Totally Bound.

And on that note back to getting some more words down,

Happy Reading,

love Raven xx

It's almost here

 I can't help but be very excited—and apprehensive when I have a book due out. 

And this one is even more exciting as it's another collaboration with Cassie O'Brien.

Our third Christmas book, Christmastime is Here will be out very soon, and as ever we have a fabulous Emmy Ellis cover

What do you think?

As ever you're getting four short stories, two historical and two contemporary, four hot heroes and four determined woman.

We had so much fun writing them and hope you enjoy them.

We'd love to know what you think if you read them.

Meanwhile, 

Here's the blurb

Happy reading,

love Raven xxx

Teasing...or should that be annoying?

 It's a grey old day here, and nothing makes me want to go for a walk. If we went to the coast you'd be hard pressed to see anything, not even the sea!

(source pinterest)

Instead of watching the waves, (or not as the case might be) I'm going to tease you all instead and tell you that in a day or two the lovely Cassie O'Brien and I are going to reveal a rather special cover.

That's it...

except to say, 'tis the season...

or will be.

I'm not saying what book for, when said book is out, or even give you a wee taster.

Just watch this space,

happy reading,

love, Raven xxx

Cataracts and Coffee—typos and toast

 It's me again. delighted to be told my cataract op was a success. Now to wait for the next one. 

I hadn't realised how bad my eyesight was until now, when the eye that was the better eye is now very much the worst one.

I'm still wearing one lens in my reading glasses when I type, and sometimes for reading, but not for anything else.

So imagine me, the other morning, laptop open (I was so far behind in this story it's not funny) and waiting for the kettle to boil. I'd my specs on.

Took them off, measured out the coffee. Turned to the post that had just arrived. Squinted.

Ah, glasses on.  Not for me.

Milk in coffee? Glasses off.

Bread for toaster? What's the one to use first? Specs on to read the dates. Chose loaf. Specs off, toast bread, butter bread.

Sit down.

Need to check for typos. Specs on. Drink coffee, eat toast.

Go to wash up.

Specs off.

Back to laptop.

Where's the specs?

Have to go and find the other pair with one long distance lens in to see reading glasses.

ARGH...

But I am happy to think I'm on the way to better vision.

Oh, and I can wear ordinary sunglasses!

🕶

Meanwhile, I need to type furiously in the WIP.

and read it over...

So happy to send my two Christmas shorts to Cassie O'Brien where along with her two stories the fabulous Emmy Ellis will edit them, give us a super cover and we'll get them out to you for Christmas. I'm chuffed with mine so fingers crossed you are too.

(If you read them of course)

*Hangdog expression*

Meanwhile I'm cracking on with The Meet Up, book two in Happy Ever after at Romansa Castle, and doing some edits on The Renaissance of Baird Drummond, which is the last book in the Castle on the loch series. Both are due out late spring, early summer.

In amongst all of this, I'm freezing beans, sorting out a pre-birthday party for my brother in law who is due a b...i...g 'O' soon and making soups. Plus checking for my infamous typos. (I"d written choking and chicken before I finally changed it to checking.)

But it's better to be busy than at a loose end, isnt it?

Happy reading,

love, Raven xx

where I just hope I hit the correct keys...watch this space

 Happy days.

I had a cataract op the other day, and of course as a result that eye is very blurry. Consequently, I'm having trouble hitting the correct keys. It's not quite so bad here on my laptop, but on my phone...

Oh dear...

Yesterday I was trying to say the lovely husband is in charge of putting in the eye drops. That came out as patting in the eye seine! Not quite the same meaning! No wonder the person I was texting replied with ????

I have increased the text on my eReader, and hauled out some large print books.

It makes me realise how much I take for granted. Doing every day things and with my glasses being able to see to do them. Yes my eyesight was getting worse, to the stage where if I hadn't had the op, I wouldn't have been able to see well enough to drive. But, and that is a big

but, I could see well enough to do other things.

Boy it makes me grateful.

This last two days though, with one eye so blurred, I felt drunk—before the gin and tonic I'd promised myself after the op. I'm uncertain when I'm coming down the stairs, pouring boiling water into the teapot, cutting bread. Little things that normally I do without thinking.

I've increased the size of the font on my eReader, annd found some large print books.

I'm not sleeping well, goodness knows why, finding it hard to concentrate and getting frustrated.

I have deadlines and when I tried to type yesterday, it was even more gobbledygook than normal. Even I couldn't work out what I was trying to say!

Therefore, you can imagine how wary I was of typing this, but I think, after going over it, it's okay. Nothing too drastically wrong.

The good news is I'm fairly sure the blurriness is slowly going. I know it can take a couple of days—or a couple of weeks. I'm hoping for the former, but if the end result is I can see so much better I'll take the latter. And celebrate.

Have a great week, 

love, Raven xxx

Where I wonder where the week has gone.

 Happy whatever day you are reading this on.

It doesn't seem seven days since I last posted. It seems like five minutes. 

Weird, because I've not been rushing all over the place, not been particularly busy...except for playing catch up on my writing.

The words are coming slowly these days. I wonder if it's because it's the time of the year? Summer going, autumn coming? 

I love summer, but I must admit there's something about crunching through fallen leaves and then kicking them in the air. 

(Couldn't find the leaves on the ground picture so here's a tree and sunny view of my last garden instead)

 I've been cracking on with my WIP, thought I was doing ok until I realised my new specs (got to blame something) made me think I'd written 20K more than I have so now it's panic mode! I hate feeling under pressure, but at the moment, that's how I feel—and my blood pressure shows that.

It's strange how sometimes the story is shouting at me, I know exactly where it's going, but life conspires to make it damned difficult to get those words down. Like I said I've not been over busy but lots of little things have demanded my time. Things that had to be done. So writing has been in dribs and drabs and it's darned frustrating. 

Oh to have a clear few hours just to write. And drink coffee as I do. 

I have decided my motto this week is every 1k is 1k nearer those two magic words 'the end', and I'll crack on as and when I can.

Take care and thanks for reading,

love Raven xx

When getting the words down plays second fiddle.

 Morning (or whenever) all.

If you're out there of course. 

Now I know it could well be a bit early for fizz in your neck of the woods, so here's coffee instead. 

You might be wondering why I'm celebrating after I've only written a measly 4k this week. It was 6 but 2 went into the bin. I lost the plot with my WIP. In every way possible.

The Reason? I've just enjoyed a great family week.

There was a lot of catching up both via face time and face to face. 

I did make notes for my next book in the Romansa Castle series as I waited for an appointment, did a few bullet points to remind me of things to check, and reread where I'd got to. However words down to stay were meagre and I need to get on with it.

I'm writing the book that follows The Fix Up, but they can be read 'anywhichway' as my mum would have said. Tentatively titled The Catch Up, and out in the spring. (If I get a move on)

However this week, I admitted defeat when it came to an early morning coffee with family, walks by the sea and a wander around the nearest market town or sitting at my desk, there was no contest.

And I feel better for it. Raring to write. Know exactly where the story is going and how.

So time to crack on with the next 50K 

I've got my coffee. The fizz can wait until those 50k are down and I'm happy with them.

Until next time

Happy Reading,

love, Raven xx

When I need to give myself a stern talking to.

 I have no idea why I'm not getting up and cracking on with the WIP. The intention is there. Swing (ok crawl) out of bed, splash cold water over my face, clean teeth head to kettle.

Put washing in machine, note where dust bunnies are. Make coffee, open lap top, get WIP ready and...

Ooh, there's the news, the crossword, the emails, the catch up on wherever and—

help that's t'other 'alf getting up and all I've managed is to read over the last paragraph I  wrote and...well you get the gist.

Two hours later, when I am writing it's time to do other things and i'm snarly at having to stop.

So, todays resolution was turn off wifi and just write.

But I thought i'd let you know my intentions, before I get stuck in.

wish me luck.

Oh and if you have read 

The Fix Up

what did you think of it? Because the next book in the series is what I'm concentrating on now. Or I will be in a minute.

Happy Reading,

Love Raven xx

Don't faint it really is me...I think

 I've been thinking a lot recently. No not a ploy to procrastinate—I don't need one of those, I can do that easily.

The fact that somehow my blogging seems to have gone by the wayside and it shouldn't.

I love the fact I can rabbit on on here and if (pretty please) anyone wants to read it, they can. 

Does anyone? I honestly have no idea. After all I lead what I think is a very normal (boring? mundane? unexciting?) life. Unless you count the heron trying to pinch next doors fish, or watching the RAF red arrows and so on scream overhead to practice whatever they practice over the sea which is about 5 miles from us.

I'm writing, albeit a lot slower than I used to, and I seem to have gone off at a tangent a bit. Less hot. Not sure if that a good idea or not, but it's the way my mind is working at the moment. The Fix Up, my latest, is more of a rom com-chic lit sort of story. I had great fun writing it, and i'm about a third of thy way into the next book in the series. Plus I'm writing other stories with the fabulous Cassie O'Brien and it's lovely to have some one to share writing with again. 

I don't want to stop (not sure I could) but I have accepted that there are other things in life to do as well. No I don't mean moving the dust bunnies on, they haven't upset me, I ignore them. Unless we have visitors. 🤣🤣.  Lots of walks along the coast, moving house, (that was fun in lockdown—not) Sorting the new house and garden.

Reaping the rewards of the lovely husband's veg plot.

Reading. 

And best of all sorting out my new study/office/writing cave. Which is where I should be at the moment, but instead I'm sitting in the family room watching a pigeon trying to drink out of the pond and not fall in. It's a 50-50 chance at the moment.

And on that note, as it flew away, without an unexpected bath, I better get back to the WIP, or it will sulk and I'll forget what is supposed to happen next.

If anyone reads this and thinks I should get on and blog a bit more, please let me know.

Meanwhile stay safe and happy reading,

love Raven xxx