Countdown to #ScribeFest (Middlewich Literary Festival)

#ScribeFest celebrates all aspects of writing, illustrating and art, and it is happening this week, from 23rd-25th March! Brochures are available to collect from venues around Middlewich, and the shops are already preparing their special window displays for our “Guess the Book” competition… See you there!

Follow Scribe Festival on Twitter, use the hashtag #ScribeFest to see live updates, and like our page on Facebook to see exclusive news and giveaways before and during the event.

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Dodging Satan by Kathleen McCormick

I like to share news about the authors that I meet on my travels, and today I introduce you to the book Dodging Satan by Kathleen McCormick. It is a YA novel, so not my usual genre, but I do like the sound of this one… 

Dodging Satan by Kathleen McCormick

Dodging Satan is a humorous coming-of-age story. Bridget Flagherty, a student at St. Michaels Catholic school outside Boston in the 60s-70s, takes refuge in wacky misunderstandings of Bible stories and Catholic beliefs to avoid problems in her Irish/Italian family. 

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Sharing the Love LGBT-Style

Many people are unaware that my Redcliffe novels, and my contemporary English Gothic stories, include characters who are lesbian, gay and bisexual. I don’t shout about it because it shouldn’t be a selling point. We are who we are, and we are free to love and play with other people as we see fit. But enough of my preaching. In the spirit of sharing diverse works of art, today I introduce you to a novel called Juliana, by Vanda.

Juliana by Vanda 

“She went looking for fame, and found her true self, instead.”

So begins the story of Juliana, a talented Broadway performer, and the young, naïve farm girl Alice that she seduces. The novel is set between 1941 and 1944, and tells a story about the modern world of the gay and lesbian social scene, and the old-fashioned values of small-town, rural families who just want their children to get married and continue the family line.

I look forward to reading and reviewing this novel myself, and if you want to know more about the author, see her website for social media links and news about her next book.

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Children of the Night… Celebrate Vampire Month!

Ha ha, I do love my favourite old movie references. This month we celebrate Vampire Month, as decreed by the mysterious and alluring D.A. Lascelles… I met the author during our Sandbach Authors Signing Event late last year, and now he has recruited me into his vampire fan club.

Keep watching his website for author interviews (including mine), book features (me again), and all things relating to vampires and vampire pop culture (yes, more of my writing!) 
The writing is lively, even though the subject matter is not!  

Did you enjoy this article? 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!) 

Book Review: She Wolf by Elizabeth Morgan

I finally got around to reading She Wolf by Elizabeth Morgan. This is a contemporary werewolf love story set in Scotland, and I loved it! The scenery was beautiful, as you would expect. We hear the story of a werewolf pack with ancient lineage, and how its youngsters continue the family business. And then there is the love story between our feisty she-wolf and her mate. The tension is brilliantly worked, and the characters could be my mates from the local pub, I feel so familiar with them. I highly recommend this book!

Rugged, Scottish Werewolves – how could I resist?

This book is seriously sexy, and deeply passionate. I like the way it is told from both protagonists' points of view. I feel like part of the pack after reading this book, and now I need to read the series!

Did you enjoy this article? 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!) 

World Book Day #WorldBookDay20

Happy World Book Day! I am ridiculously excited about this day, even though I don’t really get involved with activities. I am visiting my daughter’s class at school to read a book later today, but that’s about it. Still, I love any excuse to talk about books, to pick up a book, to worship books and the art of reading. And later this month we celebrate books and writing with the Scribe Festival right here in Middlewich. Fantastic!

I heard a lot of news coverage about parents complaining that they have to dress their children up in World Book Day costumes. We don’t do that in my local area. My daughter’s school are running a game where they ring a bell at regular intervals, the children must stop what they are doing, pick up a book, and read. Sounds like my kind of game… The chosen book theme is Mr Men, which is a childhood favourite of mine. I have selected some vintage books from my personal collection to take for my “Mystery Reader” session.

Have a fabulous, booky day, my friends!

Did you enjoy this article? 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!) 

This Author’s Health Journey

We all have a story. Every single one of us, whether we write about it or not. My fictional stories are inspired by real-life events, experiences and perceptions, albeit with a little paranormal twist… hey, I like to liven things up a little bit! A big part of my personal story is my health. I am generally a very healthy and happy thirty-five-year-old woman. I have had two successful pregnancies with very minor complications during labour. But I have been in and out of hospital for all my life.

Photo Credit 

I have a rare genetic disorder called Lymphedema Distichiasis. Yep, you can’t even pronounce it, can you? I had to practice a little when the diagnosis officially came several years ago. Basically, it means that I have a recessive gene, called the FOXC2 gene. It means that my body produces anomalies. For me those anomalies include a double row of eyelashes in both eyes. My eyelashes grow on the inside of the eyelid, and they turn in so that they scratch my corneas. I have severe scarring in both eyes, and I have routine minor surgery procedures to have the extra eyelashes removed using lasers. In between hospital visits, I pluck the offending eyelashes out with tweezers. Not pleasant. It is very painful and can be very debilitating, but I am not the sort of person to let that get in my way.

Photo Credit 

You see, that is my story. One author, one rare genetic eye disorder. It could have caused me to give up my job, my ability to drive, even my independence, because it got so bad at one point. But I refused to submit to the pain and the discomfort. Instead I sought alternative methods of healing, which brought me to my current training in Reiki. That is a higher vibrational energy healing system that we can all tap into, and I find it incredibly helpful for my health condition. It will also find its way into my stories, and has even inspired me to plan some non-fiction books based on my experiences.

What are your life experiences, health or otherwise? How do they inspire and inform your career choices, your hobbies, your way of life?

Did you enjoy this article? 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!)