Christmas Reading

Over Christmas, when I manage to snatch a few quiet moments,
I will be reading Peaceweaver by Judith Arnopp, which has just been published by a friend and fellow member of Cwrtnewydd Scribblers.


This is what is written on the back cover.

1070, four years after the battle of Hastings; Eadgyth, in hiding

from the conquering King William of Normandy, relates her tale of passion and conflict.

Her story begins when she is sold into marriage to

Gruffydd ap Llewwllyn, leader of the Welsh; a man old enough

to be her grandfather. She is saved from sorrow by love but the romance she finds is not in the arms of her husband. When Harold Godwinson launches a surprise attack. Gruffydd escapes but Eadgyth falls into the hands of the Saxons.

Eadgyth is taken to the court of King Edward the Confessor. There she befriends the queen and her feminine charms enable her to infiltrate the sticky intrigues of the Godwin family. However her happiness is threatened as the portentous date of October 14th 1066 looms.

Eadgyth's story highlights the plight of women, tossed in the tumultuous sea of feuding Anglo Saxon Britain.

For anyone who wants to read Eadgyth's story it is available to order on amazon.

Christmas Countdown

I can't believe that Christmas is just a week away. Life on farm has kept me really busy for the last few weeks. All thought of writing, blogs or books, have been put to one side.



So, here is a picture of our tree and now that nearly all presents are wrapped, cards written and food shopping just about done I can get back to blogging and writing.



How are your Christmas preparations going?

Tuscan Reunion

I have just returned from a trip to London to meet up with some of the writers I met on Sharon Kendricks course in Tuscany this May. Here we all are enjoying the sun in Tuscany and thanks to Jo for this photo.

On Friday we met up in a Tuscan restaurant and chatted over a delicious meal which took us all back our wonderful week in Tuscany, where we honed our writing skills, talked and ate delicious food.

The following morning, as strong winds whipped along the London streets I found my way to Kensington Palace and was thrilled to discover I was able to go in.

I had a nice time wandering around the exhibitions and state rooms. Taking photographs with a flash was prohibited, but the one below of The King's Gallery came out quite well without a flash.

Then as rain added to the wind I walked through Hyde Park and stumbled upon The Royal Horse Artillery in all their finery. I watched as they disappeared into Hyde Park, the sound of the gun carriage wheels and horses as they moved off was something I've never experienced before. Then to my amazement they fired their guns and came galloping back through the now lashing rain.

Pumpkin Paradise

Yesterday the kids and I went to Gloucester for a family get-together, but on the way there we saw this place and had to stop on our return journey.

Over Farm Market is an amazing place. I have never seen so many pumpkins in one place and the time someone has spent displaying them is incredible.

There were bouncy castles and rides for little ones, animals and farm shop, but for this week the place has been decorated for Halloween.

The animals that had been built out of pumkins and other vegetables were brilliant.

Turning Back Time

It is the weekend when the clocks go back for winter and right now the wind is howling around the house, leaving me in no doubt the winter is approaching.




What most people say when talking about the clocks going back is 'an extra hour in bed', but have you thought what it means to farmers who have animals who need routines? Try getting a cow up for milking early or arriving late and you will understand. So this evening milking will start half an hour later and by tomorrow morning the cows will think we are only half an hour late.




I plan to use my extra hour writing. What will you be doing with yours?

Trying something new

At the writing group on Monday we discussed poetry and in particular Haiku, which is a three lined verse of five, seven and five syllables per line. So I thought I'd go public on my first attemtp at a Haiku, which was inspired by a photograph I took this week.

Fields of mist at dawn

And a chorus of bird song

Lifts your heart all day

If you want to find out more about the writing group then we now have a newly acquired website thanks to Judith at www.cwrtnewyddscribblers.webs.com

Festivals and Courses

This week is Cheltenham Literature Festival and if my children hadn't picked up a stomach bug I would have made the journey from Wales to listen to Sharon Kendrick when she talked on Literary Heroes together with Katie Fforde, Stella Duffy and Virginia McKenna.

I first met Sharon, who writes for Mills and Boon, when I attended a writing course in Tuscany where she was the tutor. It was a week of fun, learning how to write romantic fiction, meeting new friends, enjoying good food and exploring the wonderful Tuscan Countryside.

During this week the BBC made a documentary 'How to write a Mills and Boon' which was screened last year to celebrate 100 years of Mills and Boon. Literary novelist Stella Duffy joined us to find out more about writing for Mills and Boon.

The location is perfect for writing and there are many courses on writing and painting held there each year. More information can be found at http://www.watermill.net/

Writers travelled from Britain, France and America to attend the course, some just beginning their journey and some like myself having completed their first book. We were also lucky to have with us Jennie Lucas who was then starting out on her career writing for Mills and Boon.

The course was so good I went back to Italy this year again and as I am now nearing the completion of my fourth book aimed at Mills and Boon it must have done me some good and one day I hope to achieve my dream of publication with them.

To find out more about Sharon or Jennie go to http://www.sharonkendrick.com/ http://www.jennielucas.com/

National Poetry Day

As this week saw National Peotry Day I thought I'd share the success of a member of my local writing group. Sue Moules has had a selection of her poetry published by Headland and it is well worth a read.

If you want to find out more about Sue and her work visit www.joanmoules.co.uk/sue

Being part of a writing group is one of the best ways to meet other writers and I would urge anyone wanting to write to join their local group.

The Farmer's Wife Who Wants To Write

Blogging is something I've never done before, although I enjoy reading other blogs, but as a wannabe writer I thought I would share what I hope will be my journey to publication. A journey which, over the last few years, has taken my to new places in the UK and as far a field as Italy. I have met some wonderful people, published and unpublished, but I'll tell you about that another day.

I have wanted to write since I was in primary school, but it has only been in recent years that I have seriously been chasing that dream. I have joined a local writing group and the Romantic Novelists' Association and more recently The Romance Writers of Australia and America.

Like any other wannabe writer the day job has to come first and for me that is farming, so during the day I could be doing anything from milking cows to account paperwork. Then when I get a bit of time I soon get lost in the love story of my latest book. Having two children also keeps me busy, but I try to write something each day, even if it's just a few sentences or jotting down new ideas.