Firstly, my apologies for not blogging for a while. We had a bereavement in the family, followed by not knowing if we were going to be able to take our holiday to Romania pending the date of the funeral. Luckily, funeral ended up being two days before departure date and we did make it to Romania and Transylvania (more to come later and there are some piccies on my FB page).
I did start a blog intended for Halloween publication, but not only did a close family friend pass away suddenly, but my iPad decided to lose the draft blog, so I took it as a sign and left it alone for a while, as I knew everyone would be inundated with Halloween stuff. You would think that I’d had enough of death for a while, but…
You know they always say write what you know… Sirens Call e-zine have just published their latest issue and the theme is “The Bitter End”, and following my recent experiences, I managed to create a piece of flash fiction they liked, entitled “Haunting” on page 82 – check it out: http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/pdfs/SirensCallEZine_December2018.pdf
My writer friend, Kay Ellis, also prompted me to start writing a M/M gay supernatural story as she said her publisher was looking for new talent (check her out on Amazon – contemporary and fantasy M/M). I’ve written about 10,000 words of a werewolf tale (sorry, that always makes me chuckle!), and am trying to write this one organically, in that I’m just seeing where it goes for a while before plotting the rest of it. It seems to be working out OK so far and I’m waffling away quite happily, with a quite a lot of backstory and character development as I write.
So many ideas – so little time…
Hope you all had a merry Festival of Excess and I wish you all a happy New Year.
Laters!
Shel
Saturday, 29 December 2018
Sunday, 3 June 2018
Whisky, Whitby & Windows 10 Part 2
I’m back! And on to Whitby, the home of one of the best fish & chip parlours - Magpies, and where Dracula landed in Britain. Oh, and there’s a very picturesque abbey (see my FB page for piccies), and it’s by the sea - a very pleasant place to spend some time! We stayed at the Dracula themed B&B - Bats & Broomsticks, which I thoroughly recommend if you like your Dracula kitsch, even though it’s done very well, it is cheesy goodness. This was our second stay - four poster bed, “emergency kit” in the wardrobe (wooden stakes and mallet) and breakfast to “The Damned” in a gothic basement - what more could you want? A friendly host, who’s knowledgable about the area and tells you all the best places to get a beer? Yup!
We also managed to get up to Whitby Abbey (about 200 steps - and still don’t know the real number, even though we both counted and got different numbers). Got some fantastic photos and came away with bottles of beer, wine and mead. Yeah, it was a very boozy buying spree, but we haven’t drank it all yet! Oh, and liquorice and Parma violet ice cream from a proper ice cream parlour on the way back - yum! Even if you don’t do the Dracula thing, it’s a wonderful seaside town to visit.
And... on to Windows 10. OK, so I’m probably going to rant a bit because I did an update on my laptop and that update took my poor laptop and ravaged it - bit it and shook it like a wolf with a sheep in its jaws - and left it hanging on for dear life and pretty much dying as far as the software was concerned. I have never in all my years done an update and have it shaft my PC to the extent that I had to take it back to where I bought it from to get them to fix it, as the update “fix” had me going round in circles, with no desktop, and no recourse on what Microsoft had done with an update that obviously hadn’t been tested properly. I was the 10th person that morning to ring in with the same problem and it’s going to cost me over £100 to get my files taken off, hardware checked and software wiped and reinstalled. And that’s just the beginning. Once I get it back tomorrow, I’ve got to reinstall any other software I had on there... joy... not! Seeing as it was the only device I had Scrivener on, and where most of my writings were held (some were backed up elsewhere, but not the one I’m working on, of course), I have to reinstall Scriv and pray that it’s all there, and then get writing!
So there you have it, enough blathering on for now. Wish me luck with my laptop and I curse Microsoft and their evil “we can screw you over and there’s nothing you can do about it” updates. Seriously thinking of going over to Mac as I’m surgically attached to my iPad anyway, it’s just the cost that’s really putting me off for now. We’ll see what happens next time I run a Windows update, and - note to self - backup your Scriv files to Dropbox before you press that update button!
Laters
Shel
We also managed to get up to Whitby Abbey (about 200 steps - and still don’t know the real number, even though we both counted and got different numbers). Got some fantastic photos and came away with bottles of beer, wine and mead. Yeah, it was a very boozy buying spree, but we haven’t drank it all yet! Oh, and liquorice and Parma violet ice cream from a proper ice cream parlour on the way back - yum! Even if you don’t do the Dracula thing, it’s a wonderful seaside town to visit.
And... on to Windows 10. OK, so I’m probably going to rant a bit because I did an update on my laptop and that update took my poor laptop and ravaged it - bit it and shook it like a wolf with a sheep in its jaws - and left it hanging on for dear life and pretty much dying as far as the software was concerned. I have never in all my years done an update and have it shaft my PC to the extent that I had to take it back to where I bought it from to get them to fix it, as the update “fix” had me going round in circles, with no desktop, and no recourse on what Microsoft had done with an update that obviously hadn’t been tested properly. I was the 10th person that morning to ring in with the same problem and it’s going to cost me over £100 to get my files taken off, hardware checked and software wiped and reinstalled. And that’s just the beginning. Once I get it back tomorrow, I’ve got to reinstall any other software I had on there... joy... not! Seeing as it was the only device I had Scrivener on, and where most of my writings were held (some were backed up elsewhere, but not the one I’m working on, of course), I have to reinstall Scriv and pray that it’s all there, and then get writing!
So there you have it, enough blathering on for now. Wish me luck with my laptop and I curse Microsoft and their evil “we can screw you over and there’s nothing you can do about it” updates. Seriously thinking of going over to Mac as I’m surgically attached to my iPad anyway, it’s just the cost that’s really putting me off for now. We’ll see what happens next time I run a Windows update, and - note to self - backup your Scriv files to Dropbox before you press that update button!
Laters
Shel
Friday, 1 June 2018
Whisky, Whitby & Windows 10 Part 1
First off - whisky! Our trip to Scotland in early May started off with a 2 night stay in Forres in an AirBnB, which turned out to be a lovely old Victorian place with lots of character and a very nice host.
We toured Benromach Distillery, as it was literally down the road, and we decided to take our whisky taster away with us as we had to drive to another distillery straight after. And saying that, promptly bought several more to go and a bottle of Benromach 15 year old (sherry cask, hint of smoke - gorgeous!).
Next we flew off to Tamdhu Distillery in Knockando, near Aberlour. Now this was an interesting tour - I know, you’re thinking “Aren’t they all the same?”, but far from it! This distillery isn’t usually open to the public, only during the Speyside Whisky Festival, so their reception and tasting area was in an old station ticket office next to a defunct railway and unlike most tours, we were allowed to take photos inside the distillery itself. It was large scale and modern, unlike Benromach, which was a much smaller affair and with very traditional processes and no computers! I did sample the 3 that were on offer, but they were all batch or cask strength and just too strong without adding more than a few drops of water to it - and what’s the point of whisky if you can’t enjoy it without watering it down? I didn’t buy any, and didn’t feel bad about it as the tickets themselves were £30 each, but did find out from chatting to them that they do a 12 year old Tamdhu and only sell it in M&S. I shall be looking out for that one - and it comes in the most stunning weighted bottom cut glass bottle - just what you need in a zombie apocalypse (as one guy at the Edinburgh Whisky Experience said to us a few years ago as we were gazing bewildered by the array of whisky on offer!). We’d like to think we know a thing or two about whisky now, but we’re always finding out new and tasting them too.
On our way to see family, we stopped off at Glendronach Distillery near Huntly, which we toured last year, for 2 bottles of their 18 year old “Allardice”. Again, Oloroso sherry cask (are you seeing a theme here? My fault, I’m afraid!), and heaven in a glass.
***
Got to split this into 2 parts, as I can’t see the text at the bottom of the page doing this on an iPad, so more in a bit...
Laters
Shel
We toured Benromach Distillery, as it was literally down the road, and we decided to take our whisky taster away with us as we had to drive to another distillery straight after. And saying that, promptly bought several more to go and a bottle of Benromach 15 year old (sherry cask, hint of smoke - gorgeous!).
Next we flew off to Tamdhu Distillery in Knockando, near Aberlour. Now this was an interesting tour - I know, you’re thinking “Aren’t they all the same?”, but far from it! This distillery isn’t usually open to the public, only during the Speyside Whisky Festival, so their reception and tasting area was in an old station ticket office next to a defunct railway and unlike most tours, we were allowed to take photos inside the distillery itself. It was large scale and modern, unlike Benromach, which was a much smaller affair and with very traditional processes and no computers! I did sample the 3 that were on offer, but they were all batch or cask strength and just too strong without adding more than a few drops of water to it - and what’s the point of whisky if you can’t enjoy it without watering it down? I didn’t buy any, and didn’t feel bad about it as the tickets themselves were £30 each, but did find out from chatting to them that they do a 12 year old Tamdhu and only sell it in M&S. I shall be looking out for that one - and it comes in the most stunning weighted bottom cut glass bottle - just what you need in a zombie apocalypse (as one guy at the Edinburgh Whisky Experience said to us a few years ago as we were gazing bewildered by the array of whisky on offer!). We’d like to think we know a thing or two about whisky now, but we’re always finding out new and tasting them too.
On our way to see family, we stopped off at Glendronach Distillery near Huntly, which we toured last year, for 2 bottles of their 18 year old “Allardice”. Again, Oloroso sherry cask (are you seeing a theme here? My fault, I’m afraid!), and heaven in a glass.
***
Got to split this into 2 parts, as I can’t see the text at the bottom of the page doing this on an iPad, so more in a bit...
Laters
Shel
Saturday, 28 April 2018
Favourite Book Challenge
Hi all
I was challenged by a friend on Facebook this week to select a favourite book (I think I was supposed to select one every day of the week, but that was just too difficult, so I settled for one!), and after much consideration (about a minute), I settled on...
Dracula by Bram Stoker
This book spawned a whole sub-genre in the world of paranormal writing and although not everyone’s cup of reading tea, is still a classic. It has sparked so many imaginations since publication in the late 19th century that I think it deserves to be chosen. It is the one hard backed book I still have in my collection, the rest being paperbacks or digital.
And... because I am British and love talking about the weather... Spring is officially here. The daffs have been and gone, the cherry blossom is, well, blossoming, and there are woods full of beautiful bluebells... although we did have a mini heatwave, could the weather be just a tad warmer than it is now please?
More to report soon after our trip to the Speyside Whisky Festival, Scotland and Whitby on the way back home (I think it may be an expensive trip...!).
Laters
Shel
I was challenged by a friend on Facebook this week to select a favourite book (I think I was supposed to select one every day of the week, but that was just too difficult, so I settled for one!), and after much consideration (about a minute), I settled on...
Dracula by Bram Stoker
This book spawned a whole sub-genre in the world of paranormal writing and although not everyone’s cup of reading tea, is still a classic. It has sparked so many imaginations since publication in the late 19th century that I think it deserves to be chosen. It is the one hard backed book I still have in my collection, the rest being paperbacks or digital.
And... because I am British and love talking about the weather... Spring is officially here. The daffs have been and gone, the cherry blossom is, well, blossoming, and there are woods full of beautiful bluebells... although we did have a mini heatwave, could the weather be just a tad warmer than it is now please?
More to report soon after our trip to the Speyside Whisky Festival, Scotland and Whitby on the way back home (I think it may be an expensive trip...!).
Laters
Shel
Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Spring has sprung... almost!
It looks like spring may finally be here after a false start and that horrible white stuff... snow! Surely it’s got to warm up soon?!
A nice thing about spring is you start thinking about/planning your summer holiday and this year is a big birthday, so I’ve decided to do something I’ve always wanted to - visit Dracula’s castles in Transylvania. I usually book and plan everything, but this time I thought I’d let someone else do it, and we are going on a coach tour - never been on one before, but so looking forward to it. Also hoping it will inspire some story writing!
And talking of stories, I’ve been plotting and plodding along with my current one - the supernatural love(ish) story, and more characters have been making an appearance, including a vicar who like parkour and running, and two chalk and cheese sisters, one of which runs a cafe that only serves chocolate cakes and confections - it’s called the “Chocolate Teapot”!
Well, better get on with the writing, although sometimes it ends up half thinking/researching and half writing, but that’s better than nothing...
Ooh, before I go, last time my post had the title “Do cyber wolves dream of electric sheep?” and I wondered where the line had come from. Well, apparently the actual quote is “Do androids dream of electric sheep?” - it’s a story title by Philip K Dick which turned into Bladerunner, so no wonder it sounded familiar, but not quite!
More in a bit...
Shel
A nice thing about spring is you start thinking about/planning your summer holiday and this year is a big birthday, so I’ve decided to do something I’ve always wanted to - visit Dracula’s castles in Transylvania. I usually book and plan everything, but this time I thought I’d let someone else do it, and we are going on a coach tour - never been on one before, but so looking forward to it. Also hoping it will inspire some story writing!
And talking of stories, I’ve been plotting and plodding along with my current one - the supernatural love(ish) story, and more characters have been making an appearance, including a vicar who like parkour and running, and two chalk and cheese sisters, one of which runs a cafe that only serves chocolate cakes and confections - it’s called the “Chocolate Teapot”!
Well, better get on with the writing, although sometimes it ends up half thinking/researching and half writing, but that’s better than nothing...
Ooh, before I go, last time my post had the title “Do cyber wolves dream of electric sheep?” and I wondered where the line had come from. Well, apparently the actual quote is “Do androids dream of electric sheep?” - it’s a story title by Philip K Dick which turned into Bladerunner, so no wonder it sounded familiar, but not quite!
More in a bit...
Shel
Thursday, 15 February 2018
Do Cyber Wolves Dream Of Electric Sheep?
I love that line, but can’t remember where it originates from - anyone know?
Talking of dreaming, I had a slightly prophetic one a couple of days ago: I dreamt that a friend had wanted me to stay with her for a few days, and had bought me a pair of pyjamas, then after I’d got there, promptly decided that she didn’t need me to stay and phoned a taxi company to find out how much it would be for me to get home!
Strangely enough, we were going to stay over with friends on Saturday night for gaming, but as others couldn’t make it, decided on giving it a miss so we’d have a much needed weekend at home without running around. We did make a date that we could all make next month though.
Maybe I’ll actually get some writing done, instead of just thinking about it...! [must make time to write!]
It’s funny what spins round in your subconscious...
I did write a drabble for a work thing - we had to be creative, and it was the obvious choice for me - although it had to have a work theme. I won’t give much more away, apart from it’s entitled “Ladder Gremlin” and I’ll post it next month after the meeting.
Well, I couldn’t write it without some kind of fantasy theme, now could I?!
Laters
Shel
Talking of dreaming, I had a slightly prophetic one a couple of days ago: I dreamt that a friend had wanted me to stay with her for a few days, and had bought me a pair of pyjamas, then after I’d got there, promptly decided that she didn’t need me to stay and phoned a taxi company to find out how much it would be for me to get home!
Strangely enough, we were going to stay over with friends on Saturday night for gaming, but as others couldn’t make it, decided on giving it a miss so we’d have a much needed weekend at home without running around. We did make a date that we could all make next month though.
Maybe I’ll actually get some writing done, instead of just thinking about it...! [must make time to write!]
It’s funny what spins round in your subconscious...
I did write a drabble for a work thing - we had to be creative, and it was the obvious choice for me - although it had to have a work theme. I won’t give much more away, apart from it’s entitled “Ladder Gremlin” and I’ll post it next month after the meeting.
Well, I couldn’t write it without some kind of fantasy theme, now could I?!
Laters
Shel
Sunday, 14 January 2018
Post-Xmas/New Year Hiatus
Post Festival of Excess and New Year Greetings!
I allowed myself a writing break up to Xmas, what with all the spinning plates and running about of the silly season, but did manage to write a scene over the Xmas holiday, continuing the story that I started for NaNoWriMo.
I realise now that this story will be much longer than I first anticipated, and I’ve only just got to the second day in my tale. My protagonist, Amy, has yet to meet the other subject of the story and the antagonist hasn’t shown his face yet either, but it’s progressing, albeit slowly. I really need to knuckle down and try to write something every day, but its hard fitting it in with normal life stuff. That is my “not New Year” resolution - I don’t make New Year resolutions, as I’m rubbish at keeping them, but this is something I want to do, and probably need to do if a story is spinning round in my head enough!
I’ll keep you posted of plot developments once I’ve got a bit more written, but I had an idea for another story as I was driving home on Friday. I followed a car with a number place ending “WDZ” and immediately thought of “Wizardz”, because that’s how my weird brain works! I then followed another car whose number plate ended “WDZ” as well, (although it quite possibly could have been the same one - I was too busy thinking up a character/plot to really notice, whilst driving at the same time!), and I saw it as a sign that a story needed to be told.
An idea was written down in my ideas book, and I’ll add to that as thoughts strike me and share when I have something a little more concrete, but I’m definitely trying to write one story at a time, or the big one will never get finished!
I also generated a RPG (Role Play Gaming) character sheet for my wizard to test out our Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition new Player’s Manual. He came out quite well, after we worked out “D&D speak” and with a bit of toing and froing through the book - I got quite excited when I found out he could throw an Chromatic Orb - where you can hurl a 4-inch-diameter sphere of energy at a creature that you can see within a certain range. You choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder for the type of orb you create and then make a ranged spell attack against the target. lf the attack hits, the creature takes 3d8 (3 x 8 sided dice) damage. Not too shabby at all for a first level character.
Sometimes it’s the little things that just make your day!
Talk soon
Shel
I allowed myself a writing break up to Xmas, what with all the spinning plates and running about of the silly season, but did manage to write a scene over the Xmas holiday, continuing the story that I started for NaNoWriMo.
I realise now that this story will be much longer than I first anticipated, and I’ve only just got to the second day in my tale. My protagonist, Amy, has yet to meet the other subject of the story and the antagonist hasn’t shown his face yet either, but it’s progressing, albeit slowly. I really need to knuckle down and try to write something every day, but its hard fitting it in with normal life stuff. That is my “not New Year” resolution - I don’t make New Year resolutions, as I’m rubbish at keeping them, but this is something I want to do, and probably need to do if a story is spinning round in my head enough!
I’ll keep you posted of plot developments once I’ve got a bit more written, but I had an idea for another story as I was driving home on Friday. I followed a car with a number place ending “WDZ” and immediately thought of “Wizardz”, because that’s how my weird brain works! I then followed another car whose number plate ended “WDZ” as well, (although it quite possibly could have been the same one - I was too busy thinking up a character/plot to really notice, whilst driving at the same time!), and I saw it as a sign that a story needed to be told.
An idea was written down in my ideas book, and I’ll add to that as thoughts strike me and share when I have something a little more concrete, but I’m definitely trying to write one story at a time, or the big one will never get finished!
I also generated a RPG (Role Play Gaming) character sheet for my wizard to test out our Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition new Player’s Manual. He came out quite well, after we worked out “D&D speak” and with a bit of toing and froing through the book - I got quite excited when I found out he could throw an Chromatic Orb - where you can hurl a 4-inch-diameter sphere of energy at a creature that you can see within a certain range. You choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder for the type of orb you create and then make a ranged spell attack against the target. lf the attack hits, the creature takes 3d8 (3 x 8 sided dice) damage. Not too shabby at all for a first level character.
Sometimes it’s the little things that just make your day!
Talk soon
Shel
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