Seasons greetings!
You know when you haven’t seen someone for a while and they ask you what you’ve been doing and you can only really remember recent events? That’s what it’s been like trying to write this blog! I kept thinking that nothing much has happened in my writing since my last post, hence whilst no new posts, but actually stuff, strangely, has happened! And I seem to have blinked and missed most of the year…
February: Submitted a short to Siren’s Call e-zine, entitled “Party Pooper”, starring the Devil and was inspired by a Shinedown song, Devil. You can find it on page 118:
May: Our annual trip to Scotland. Researched all things Scottish for my werewolf story. Came home via Ravenglass, Cumbria (and yes, it was a long journey!) for a steam train experience. Wonderful half size steam trains, and lovely people at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway, who were ‘a small company making big assumptions’ when they gave us a certificate declaring we were now Mr & Mrs! We said, “Close enough” and let it slide - great day out.
July: I’m privileged to be beta reader/proofer for my friend Kay Ellis and had the pleasure of reading her latest offering, Judge and Executioner. Check it out at:
August: Writing Magazine announced their competition for a dark tale, so I had a crack at a short fantasy story – The Death Gift. It’s set in 1920s Bath and on a steam train (you’ve got to get your inspiration where you can!) about a young lady who inherits an antique necklace with with some inherently dark properties. I was quite pleased with it, although trying to keep it within the 1700 words was a challenge.
September: Birthday gift of whisky blending experience in York. The presenter was the founder of the Whisky Lounge and knew his stuff. An enjoyable and slightly squiffy evening later, we took home two small bottles of our own blended whisky. Nice. Also had lunch at Betty’s (the café to go to in York); caught the Ghost Bus (hilarious theatre-like ghost tour in a black painted double-decker bus – haunted, I’ll have you know!); visited the Cocoa House (gorgeous single estate chocolate) – twice; and had Sunday lunch in the most haunted pub in York, The Golden Fleece (skeleton sitting at the bar and monster Yorkshire puds!).
October: Didn’t make it into Writing Magazine, but tweaked the same story and submitted it to Sirens Call – they liked it and will be published in January, so watch this space!
So there you have, up to date again. I want to write more, but life seems to keep getting in the way… if I made New Year’s resolutions, find time to write would be the one!
Laters…
Shel
