On preferences, or how we all like different things—thank goodness

 Life would be pretty boring and predictable if we all liked exactly the same things, albeit maybe a little easier at times.

Not so much thinking about, now will (insert person of your choice) like (insert whatever you want)?

Take musicals for instance. Last night I watched a TV show about stage musicals. Although I don't get to the theatre very often, if I did nine times out of ten, I'd choose a musical. Now i'm not to up to date with any new ones, but I can sing along with the best from Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dirty Dancing, Grease, Joseph, Evita, Phantom etc. (Showing my age here) Even a fair few from when I was a child and went to see the local very good SALADS a Corby amateur dramatic group. My mum didn't have to drag me to see their productions.

My lovely husband though is not at all interested. In musicals or to a lesser extent, live theatre. He loves the cinema.

I don't. It's dark, the dialogue and music always too loud for me and, shh *peers around to see who is listening* I get bored. I even went to an open air cinema once and took a book!

If I watch films I tend to do it at home, or on a plane where I can go and get a drink, or a snack, or even give up half way.

I don't like watching or reading anything scary or remotely nasty. I couldn't write it. Sci Fi and Horror? No thank you. Scandi Noir? Not my cup of tea. Crime? Some I love, but, yes you've got it, not too dark or nasty. 

Romance... now that's a different story. you can't beat a good romance.

Give me a cuppa and a good book in a genre I like and I'm a happy bunny. I can read anywhere, and be totally immersed in the story. I've made my own stories up for years. The tale of Rumple Rabbit anyone?

This got me pondering. Over how we don't like the same things and (sometimes) agree to differ. How we cope.

If you think about it, one of the joys of writing is that people love so many different things. Somewhere, there's a genre for everyone to enjoy. It also means that we can and should support each other. Accept that because I don't like a, or b, someone else will.

And that some people will dislike what or how I write and gave a book a 1* review, and the next person a 5*.

Different things for different people.

Life would be awfully boring without our individuality.

On that note, a shameless plug for my book, The Catch Up

Book 2 in Happy Ever After at Romansa Castle series

Out on Tuesday 28th... from Totally Bound

It would love to be loved... and you can preorder it... (shamelessly begging here)

https://www.totallybound.com/book/the-catch-up

https://amzn.to/40jjfrc (UK)

https://cutt.ly/63oiV59 (.com)

Anyway, wherever you are, whatever you read,

enjoy it,

love Raven xxx

Thoughts on sun, snow and other bits and bobs

I'm no lover of snow. 

Actually, that's not quite correct. I don't mind looking at it if I'm warm and snug indoors and I have no need to go out in it. 

Otherwise, no thank you. I'd be happy not to have to cope with ice and slush as the snow melts as well. Ideally, it could snow one day, when I could admire it from inside, and then melt overnight while I was asleep.

 As that isn't likely to happen, I'll go for sun and warmth anytime.

Which I try to aim for as often as possible.

When my lovely husband retired we decided we would travel whilst we were still fit and able (and could afford it). We both knew the time would come when we either couldn't or didn't want to fly, go on a boat, through the channel tunnel or drive too far.  

When we'd be content to stay at home and visit the local seaside or town. Take our walks locally. Which we do enjoy as well. Plus we are both conscious of emissions and global warning.

However, we've enjoyed visiting other places over the years. Some a return visit, some for the first time. 

And we do know how lucky we are.

We also seem to have done quite well in missing some of the rotten winter weather in the UK over the years. As far as I'm concerned, long may it stay that way.

In case anyone wonders, I take my laptop everywhere. (not into the loo or the bath, but on my travels.) I've sat on  a pile of towels on more bathroom floors than I care to remember, typing away while The Lovely Husband (TLH) slept. I've typed on planes, boats and trains. In gardens and wherever I can.  

(source pinterest)

On one plane trip, I went to get a drink and when I got back to my seat, there was someone reading what I'd just written. I said excuse me, he thought I wanted to get past. I indicated it was my seat. He went away. I enjoyed my fizz.

A while later one of the cabin crew told me the guy wanted to know what happened next! I gave her a business card with my website on it, said when the book would be out.

Six months later I got a message. 

He enjoyed the story!

And now on that note, back to the current WIP,

Happy reading,

love Raven xx

 

What's in a name?

It all depends I reckon.

On what I'm writing, how I feel and how the name fits.

Not that long ago I started a new story, and decided my heroine was called Hester. I have no idea why I just thought, oh yes, that's nice.

5K later I realised that Hester just didn't fit her. I couldn't write that story with a Hester in it. She wasn't a Hester. An Annabel or a Susie? Hmm, nope. In the end I shelved it, put it in my to be continued file and wondered just what went wrong.

(Source: pinterest)

Sometimes it's painfully obvious that a name can't work. For instance the name Wendy didn't exist in Regency times. There's nothing more likely to pull me out of a story that something  that is obviously not correct for the era the story is written in. I once ready a Regency story with names that were so unlikely I lost all interest in it. (Ditto if phrases were used that in effect didn't exist—but that's for another blog)

Horatio or Gertrude aren't that popular in this era. Last years top ten name might well be next years bottom thirty. Who knows? Names go in and out of fashion just like clothes and genres. How many of us remember, (or have a name) that several of our classmates had? 

That apart, sometimes I really want to use a name and then realise another character in the book had a name that is very similar, or starts with the same letter and it would make things confusing. 

In my current WIP my heroine is called Lois. A secondary character was screaming at me to be called Lola. Nope, sadly it wasn't on. I knew I'd end up getting confused and might even write the wrong name somewhere. She's now Zola, and it suits her, but...is it too similar?

We will see.

Meanwhile on with my current book,

happy reading,

love Raven xx

When you stall at the 45K mark

I don't mean running (heaven help me), walking or driving a car. I mean in the middle of the current WIP.

Just like I'm doing at the moment

My muse has gone awol...

I wish I knew why, and really wish the darned thing would hurry back and get moving—or should that be musing? I've reread what I've written, think it works ( but who can tell) and know the end. Sort of. But the next 30-ish K? 

*Cue hysterical laughter*

The one good ( bad?) thing about it, is I know I'm not alone in this phenomenon, it appears a lot of writers hit it somewhere. When we'd all prefer to be doing this...

or this

but instead we need to do this

I've given myself a stern talking to and decided not to worry too much. Okay, I might need to go cap in hand to my publisher and ask for a couple of weeks grace before I hand my WIP over. I'll be pushed to reach the end by te date I thought I would. But, the more I worry the less gets written. So i'm off for a walk, a coffee and a chat. And if I want to, read a book by someone else in a totally different genre.

Chill... (probably in more ways than one at the moment)

Think about something else. ( the next book more than likely)

Make notes.

Even write the ending as I think it should be. Then fill in the bits before it.

But try not to fret.

Wish me luck,

Happy Reading,

love Raven xx

All pictures/photos, sourced via pinterest

 

On the subject of lids...socks...ironing and life

 And maybe socks...

No I've not gone crazy, just bemoaning the number of odd food storage container lids I seem to have.

Yesterday, I finished my edits for my next book, The Catch Up. That's why there was no blog published. I knew I needed to get them done. 

So, (sorry for starting a sentence with so) in between making dinner, (the lovely husband was busy sorting out a well overdue to be sorted box of whatever was still packed from when we moved a couple of years ago) I did my last read over of my m/s, found comments from Ann, my lovely editor I'd not addressed, and then with a great big sigh of relief, emailed it back to her.

(got to love that cover)

The Catch Up is book two in my Happy Ever After At Romansa Castle series. 

Jan and Thomas.

From Hong Kong to the highlands of Scotland.

Will love follow them and give them a second change?

Having lived in Scotland for over thirty years, I love setting books there. A lot of my 'Scottish' books are based around where I used to live.

Then, I put a load of washing on and attacked the ironing. Now the children are grown up (allegedly) and have flown the nest, and the lovely husband and I have retired, I hold my hands up and admit the joys of hardly ever having to iron. Over the years I've gone from ironing 20 plus work and school shirts and blouses a week, to 10 plus, 5 plus and...hold on, I don't need to iron this week.

Now any ironing is done on a 'damn, you/I wore a top/ skirt/trousers/whatever that needs to be ironed. The days of an overflowing ironing basket are over. I am that slob that does not iron bedding, tea towels etc. And yes, luckily I do have some non-iron stuff.

(source, pinterest, sheets are from Dunelm)

Which has nothing to do with why I decided to sort out the drawer where I keep my plastic food containers.

(source, pinterest—mine is not this neat)

It's relatively tidy, and I generally know where things are, but...and that is a big but, every time I go in there I seem to find another odd lid. It's so frustrating. Do they go forth and multiply overnight? Kick out the containers they belong to? Or, let's be honest, do I when containers finally give up the ghost and say no more, throw out the container and keep the lid, 'just in case?' I suspect that's the answer.

Which means, after yesterday, I am now several lids less. I just have to hope I've binned the correct ones, or I'll be finding odd containers with no lids!

None of which answers my question of why do we always seem to have so many odd socks?

Happy Reading, (and sock pairing)

love Raven xxx

When I slowed down and wondered what next...

 Several years ago my lovely husband retired and I promised to slow down with regards to writing so we could spend more time together. Chill and take things easy

Go on holiday, actually have time to chat.

Life would be different.

While he worked I wrote a lot, especially in the winter, when he was away. Living where we did, in Scotland it got dark early and light late. I'd close the curtains and then...write. 

And often wake up to this. 

Beautiful but not easy to then get out and do stuff. It would be slide to the log store and back again. And write ( with a cup of coffee next to me)

So, as I said when he retired it was slow down and smell the daisies.

The funny thing is, I know I'm not as prolific as I was, but I'm enjoying my writing much more. I can't say if my writing is better now, or worse, I have no idea. But what I can say is that even though I've always loved making up stories, and the joy I get it someone likes what I write is indescribable, I feel like I'm now putting more of me into what I write.

Not more of myself as in I write about me, but without the pressure (self imposed) I used to have, I can enjoy the words, the 'script', the way the story comes together much more.

If that sounds crazy, I apologise. Here's me who is supposed to be a writer, lost for words. Well I know a lot of words but can't put them together to describe what I'm trying to say.

So I'll stop there and just add, that so far this year there's a few books due out. 

The Catch Up ( preorder Feb)

Book 2 in Happy Ever After at Romansa Castle

~~~~~

The Renaissance of Baird Drummond 

Book 3, The Castle on the Loch

 (May/June)

~~~~~

The Duke's Lost Love co-authored with Cassie O'Brien

Book 3 in The Scots and the Sassenachs

~~~~~

The Match Up

book 3 In Happy Ever After at Romansa Castle

Autumn no date as yet.

Theres a few hmm maybe's in the pipeline as well, and of course I have a book of notes and possible story lines. I'm a great eavesdropped ( my bad) but when someone id discussing tings loudly at a nearby table in a restaurant, you can't help but here can you? And if they are discussing their love life...? Well who wouldn't be interested to know how far down her shopping list someone gets when she and her partner are making love?

It was sprouts... she did it alphabetically. 

(source, pinterest)

Not sure if that was good or not. We had paid the bill and left!

And with a bit of luck Cassie and I will bring our Christmas Special out again.

Wherever you are, happy reading,

love Raven xxx

Frosty outside and warm in...lucky me.

 A couple of years ago I'd be looking out at a cold and frosty or snowy garden and have almost as many clothes on inside as I'd need outside.

Okay it was Scotland but even though we had double glazing, our house was shall we say, not exactly roasting hot—or even mildly hot. Warm eventually if the wind was in the right direction and the fire going full blast, and yes we had central heating. When they lived at home (and visited in winter) our children argued over who got to warm their bums on the Aga. Even in their twenties!

It took ages to get the place warm. Gorgeous on a nice day, chilly (understatement) most other times.

A couple of years ago we moved to near the Yorkshire coast, in England. To a new house. With superb insulation. Oh the difference. I haven't worn any of the thick as in t...h...i...c...k clothes since we moved. and today it says it was -5c when I got up. Not cold to a lot of you, (and it's gone up to -2c) but for this part of the country? That's cold. The ground is white over, the pond almost frozen except for a tiny bit where the fountain is bravely carrying on.

And me, inside?  Warm as toast and not a fleecy jumper in sight.

I know I'm lucky, and I can't help thinking of those poor people who live outside, or who can't heat their homes. Which is why I do my bit to help when I can.

Today though? I'm cracking on with my WIP,  catching up with the washing, and counting my blessings.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a good day, and if you can,

happy reading,

love, Raven xxx