Telling the Stories of Antique Furniture #WritingInspiration

This week is National Storytelling Week in the UK. My world is full of stories. Just this morning I can tell the tale of how my three-year-old daughter woke up late for pre-school after a restless night of sleep, and about the conversations we had on our short walk out. Our dog insisted on stopping to sniff every wall and bush we passed, and then I had to explain for the hundredth time why we stopped at traffic lights before crossing the road. It is never a dull moment being a mother, that’s for sure!

I recently celebrated my birthday, and for a treat I got to visit my local craft and antique centre. Dagfields Crafts and Antiques is a fabulous place. It is a collection of converted barns out in the Cheshire countryside, and it contains a wonderful array of treasures and curiosities. I was able to visit it twice within a week, and without children in tow, which is a novelty these days! Subsequently I found time to browse all of the units and inspect everything on display, which set my imagination alight once again. Each piece of furniture, every ornament, and every seemingly tired object has a story to tell. Here are a few that I particularly liked:

This beautiful antique telephone table looked to me like it would not be amiss in a luxurious Victorian home. It might be a twentieth century piece of furniture, hence being sold as a telephone table, but when I looked at it I pictured in in the sitting room of Lady Sarah Stockton from my recent novel The Darkness of Love. The sofa is luxurious and delicate, it looks comfortable enough to seat a lady of a dainty disposition, and there is a useful table on which she can place her book, her cup of tea, and maybe her fan if the weather is warm.

I really liked this sideboard and am still contemplating purchasing it for my home, although my husband may not like the piece. It has a pull-out writing desk feature, and I could see myself seated there working on my laptop if I were to bring it home. I also pictured this in the Victorian home of Stockton Manor from The Darkness of Love. It was not grand enough to warrant a place in Lord Gregory’s personal rooms, but perhaps it would suffice for the office of his butler, or maybe as a side table in  a hallway. It is very small, so it would only work in a less important room of the house.

These are just a couple of examples of what I saw recently. There were so many treasures to discover that I didn’t even make it all the way round Dagfields on two visits. I was constrained by time on those occasions, but that only means I have to return so I can finish my visit of course! Ah, the simple pleasures of life…

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

New Year, New Hump Day Hook Style! #HDH

We’re back, hooray! Hump Day Hook was hanging in the balance at the end of 2013, but we simply could not let it go. Instead, our wonderful organiser, Kerrianne Coombes, has revised the format and today I present an ‘Action’ sequence from my debut novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel).

Suddenly he was on his feet, so fast I didn’t see.  He lunged at me and I screamed, jumping back as he grabbed for my neck.  He fell to the floor and I backed up, finding myself pressed against the wall, staring at him in horror.  He had tried to bite me!  He wasn’t human.  I couldn’t move; my body was frozen in fear as I watched Jack gather himself and stand up slowly.  It wasn’t Jack that looked at me from those beautiful blue eyes.  It was the monster from my dreams and I screamed as he lunged at me again. I called his name, trying desperately to bring him back.
Suddenly in a blur of movement someone pushed me away from Jack and put himself between us.  It was Marcus.  His eyes were glowing silver, his face white, and then he turned to Jack, restraining him, whispering to him.  Jack went still in his arms and Marcus turned his head to me, looking very human again.  
“Are you alright, Jessica?” he asked gently.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

Feeding Your Imagination on Instagram

This year I plan to take a more focused route when it comes to social media networking. For the past three years I have concentrated my efforts on Twitter and Facebook, which in the beginning seemed a good idea. I tried a little paid advertising, but with a reduced budget I had to pause that for a while. I joined several Facebook groups for authors who post re-tweets on Twitter for each other as a way of cross-promoting. This also worked for a while, until late last year I realised that I spent a large portion of my week posting tweets for other people and I was simply not seeing any benefit for myself. So I stopped.

One fairly new social network caught my attention in 2013; Pinterest. It was originally suggested by a friend who uses it to research recipes and home décor ideas for her family. I explored it one afternoon and quickly became hooked. I now have a whole collection of boards where I pin photos, links to blogs, ideas for stories and all sorts of random fun and quirky aspects of my personality. If you don't already know it, take a look, but be warned, it is highly addictive! If you are already a seasoned Pinterest follower, join me if you like...

Finally, I was introduced to another popular new social network; Instagram. A friend uses it to feed her addiction to knitting crafts, home cooking and general pretty pictures, and now she has drawn me into the fold so to speak. Indeed, when I upgraded my mobile phone last summer I was determined to switch from Blackberry to Android so that I could specifically download the Instagram app and get started. And I am so glad I did! I find photographs, quotes and infographs very useful for fuelling my imagination when I need a little help.

How about you? Do you use Instagram or Pinterest? Are there any other social networks I need to explore? I am always open to suggestions...

A Playground for the Imagination #amwriting

There is inspiration for stories everywhere. I know this is an oft-repeated phrase and many struggling writers are probably fed up of hearing it. But I think it really is the truth. Every day I am bombarded with snippets of inspiration, little sentences and scenarios that could be transcribed into detailed stories. It could be anything from watching my children interacting and wondering what goes through their minds, to taking a walk and seeing the world around me.

 One day I took my children to a local playground when I collected my eldest daughter from pre-school. The day was very average, with nondescript weather and no special occasions or events. We visited the playground and my daughter spent some time running around and enjoying the swings, slide and climbing frame. I stood watching and felt compelled to take these photos.

Looking at the empty rocking animals and the swings blowing gently in a faint breeze, I was struck by how atmospheric the playground had suddenly become. Was it simply my overactive imagination and the fact that I am a writer constantly seeking inspiration? Or was it a genuine mood in the area? I don't know, but I found my mind coming alive with possibilities for ghost stories, horror stories, and all sorts of macabre creations centred around this innocent children's playground.

Do you see the possibilities too?

The Female of the Species is Deadly

It occurs to me that I haven't shared any excerpts from my novels for a while, so in the spirit of the new year and my current feisty mood, here is a seductive snippet from my latest novel The Darkness of Love...

         Gregory nodded, keeping his cool silver gaze fixed on her black eyes.  He tried so hard to ignore his Mistress’ advances, but he could never refuse her.  He belonged to her, and he was not strong enough to break free.
“Yes,” he said, “I am sure he will be compliant, for he is a man with vigorous appetites, or so I hear from the villagers.  He has a reputation among the workers’ daughters.”
Amelia smiled and nodded, her eyes glowing with excitement.  She licked her lips, and her eyes showed a glimmer of fire, deep in the pupils.  She was a contradiction of everything the vampires knew about themselves.  She burned with both fire and ice, and no-one could escape her trap when she set it. 
“I will not disappoint my oldest friend.” she said simply.

Inspiration for a Bestseller #ReadMe

Earlier today I was walking into town to collect my daughter from pre-school when a very insignificant event gave me a flash of inspiration that set my imagination alight. Hooray! Finally I have that million-dollar idea for a bestselling literary novel. I'm not even joking. The idea might not sound like a bestseller to a lot of people but I can see its potential. I won't give too many details, suffice to say it involves a doppelgänger and everyday situations.

Since I have several works in progress at the moment I won't drop everything to write this one. Besides, I feel it needs time to manifest in my mind and for me to collect more life experience to include in the novel. It will be written for a female audience and include themes of motherhood, the work/life balance, and ideas about what makes for an exciting life in 21st century Britain. I might even need a little more genre-specific academic training so that I can produce a fine manuscript to attract an agent, but I will decide that in due course.

I love being a writer!

*Image courtesy of Artsyville

Being a Writer vs Being a Mother

I am really struggling to write anything at the moment. It is such a strange feeling, because in the space of three years I wrote and published 4 novels and 3 short stories. My Muse was shouting at me constantly so that I always had some form of dialogue or story running circles in my mind, until it was written down. I have notebooks full of scribbled excerpts, blog ideas, story ideas, and even prompts to help me out on occasions like this. Yet with all of this material, I have nothing to say.

What  is this bizarre affliction? Is it writers' block? Is it laziness? Or is it something much more simple; children? Ha ha, that made you stop. Yes, I blame the children. Not that they have done anything wrong, you understand. My biological clock was ticking and so while I was frantically writing my masterpieces of literary fiction (or rather, commercial paranormal fiction), I was also incubating and birthing children. I now have a very active 3 year old daughter, and a very demanding but totally adorable 5 month old daughter.

During the Christmas holiday I took time to rest and recuperate after a very hectic year in 2013. I spent some time thinking about my situation and mulling over my options. Where could I fit in time to write and continue to develop my professional career? Ultimately I decided that it is not feasible right now. Technically I am still on maternity leave, and I have the luxury of a husband whose job pays the bills, so for now I will focus on my family and leave my notebooks alone. I will still write. I intend to develop my blogs more and update them regularly throughout the year. I will also return to my manuscripts and story prompts as and when I find the time and energy. I am still a writer, but I am also a mother, and that is my priority right now.

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!)