Winning is Great...

Now that Awards Night is over I can finally reveal that I won the Nottingham Writers' Club, Mary Street Memorial Shield for Romance Writing for 2014.

The Mary Street Shield is a bi-annual award that alternates with the Gwladys Bungay Rose Bowl for a Novel (any genre/subject); both require a synopsis and the first three chapters.

(The latter of the two ladies was published by Mills and Boon as Gwladys Duke in the 1960's.)

My winning story is actually a contemporary romance for a change- and my current work in progress.

The synopsis and first three chapters were written in just over six weeks, after my intended entry just wasn't working and it got temporarily shelved.

The contemporary idea had been lurking in my brain for some time, inspired by a book purchase, the cover instantly created a visual image in my mind, my heroine Felicity is stood looking up at a painting, and she's wearing an identical outfit to the woman in the portrait- and that moment eventually turns up in chapter four.

This competition was judged by Suzanne Ross Jones, who also writes as Suzanna Ross, and has had five My Weekly Pocket Novels published, (four now on Kindle), and lots of other published stories.

I'll admit now, there were a few minor points that would need a little work, but I agree with Suzanne's remarks regarding them.

Here's a bit of the feedback:

"I adore stories about writers and about libraries - and this has the best of both of those subjects. This is a traditional romantic set up and you've met my expectations of the genre with characters and situation. The writing is polished and assured and I was thoroughly entertained as I read the three chapters."

Now I have to admit that my hero is a little bit older than you usually get in romances, he's forty, but an attractive forty; Felicity is a thirty-two year old librarian, and has recently been made redundant from her job. Life is about to change for both of them...

"I was actually quite sad when I got to the end of chapter 3 - this is the sort of book that I'd like to read through at one sitting."

Now normally I'd have a picture of me with the trophy, but the shield got left behind when the other trophies were transported to the venue earlier in the day. It was only realised when we collected the silverware from the locked cupboard. So I'll be getting the actual shield in the New Year.

As it was also the Christmas party I dressed up in a seasonal colour.

NWC Awards Night 2014

And if you wondered what the book was that inspired the story, and the item that appears in it, well it's this...

Inspiration for my
winning story

I'm not going to tell you more, you'll just have to wait until I finish writing it, and it gets published. But this is the priority project for early 2015...

It's November So It's Bad Sex in Fiction Time...

I admit, I do enjoy reading about the shortlisted entries for the annual Bad Sex in Fiction award-the winner is announced 3rd December.

Some years the entries get more publicity than others, and I suspect 2014 might get more than usual as there are a few well known names among them: Kirsty Wark, Wilbur Smith and Michael Cunningham.

You can read the shortlisted entries in this Guardian article. You can even take part in their own vote on who you think should win.

If you have missed this before now, the Literary Review's purpose for the award- in it's 22nd year- is to bring attention to, "poorly written, perfunctory or redundant passages of sexual description in modern fiction, and to discourage them."

Now admittedly, these extracts are only a small part of the book- I've just had to rewrite that sentence, as my original words sounded like a deliberate double entendre... :D

This year's nominees include Man Booker Prize winners, current and past; and a former winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Fortunately these high tokens of literary esteem don't take bad sex scenes into account in the judging process.

Having read through each extract in this Guardian article I went from thinking that Kirsty Wark's wasn't that bad, but as I read the rest it quickly became: good grief, that's really bad- and the really bad ones- five in my opinion.

My nominations for possible winners: 'From 'DD-MM-YY' In Things to Make and Break', by May-Lan Tan, and 'The Hormone Factory', by Saskia Goldschmidt.

You can find out more on the Literary Review webpage here.

I WON!

If you read any of my blog posts in December, you may know that I was a contender for the Nottingham Writers' Club,Writer of the Year trophy.

Usually it's presented at Awards Night in early December, along with all the other annual competition trophies, before we have the Christmas party.

Unfortunately the external judge wasn't able to get the results to the club until a week or so after the event - unforeseen delays on both sides. But as the first meeting in January was New Year's Day- a public holiday in the UK- it wasn't until yesterday evening (15th) that the trophy was finally handed over.

So here's the trophy being presented to me by Vice President,

Writer of the Year 2013-Carol Bevitt

Viv Apple.

Hopefully the next time I get presented with a trophy the photo will be able to catch me when I'm not missing a front tooth and can smile! :-)

My winning entry, The Ladies of the G.O.D Club received praise from the judge, a knowledgeable local bookseller.

I'm sure she won't mind me revealing some of what she wrote for the club.

"In a short story, time is precious, and it can be easy to lose readers' interest by adding unnecessary detail, but by selecting just the essential elements, Carol makes the most of her small word count. Her scenes are set wonderfully, ('rattan chairs', 'large metallic coffee pot', 'plump cushioning in cerise' – all add an instant sense of comfort and leisure), and characters' speech is designed to hint at exactly the right traits without being over-prescriptive: it is here particularly that Carol has balanced the 'show/tell' storytelling techniques most proficiently, setting her writing apart from the competition."

There's a bit about the symbolism used too, but I must admit that wasn't an element I was consciously aware of, it just came out of creating Jenny's (my viewpoint character) story...

My other entry was a 500 word flash fiction with an historical romance leaning. Admittedly, hard to do with a limited word count. It is a bigger story, which is probably why the judge said of it, " I feel Carol's imagination could be honed to produce romantic fiction pieces on a much larger scale: this short story has all the wit and personality to take her writing further."

So that was a great way to end 2013; and with the presentation of the trophy, to start 2014.

Sadly I only get to hold onto the trophy (and get my name added to the little plate on the side of the base) until late November, but I will receive a certificate this December to mark my 2013 win...

I have plans for my winning story so won't reveal it, but it will have a home somewhere and when it does I'll let you know where so you can read it.

Likewise the 500 word flash will be made into the longer story it is determined to be.

2014 is going to be a year of hard work...

Awards Night at the Writers' Club...

Another Awards Night has been and gone.

Now this year I was in the running for the Nottingham Writers' Club, Writer of the Year Award. This is for the four winners of the club's quarterly prose competitions (from Autumn last year to Summer this year).

Unfortunately because of unforeseen delays- more than one of them in fact- the judge wasn't able to get the result back in time, so no one yet knows who won.

There are actually only three writers this time, as I won two of the four competitions- still amazed at that.

So it will be January before the winner is announced and the trophy presented. And that will be mid-month, as our regular first meeting in January next year is New Year's Day! So no meeting as the venue is closed due to it being a public holiday.

After the awards are presented, and the food is eaten, the competitive and humorous nature of the writers starts to emerge with the quiz and games.

The social secretary, Pat, puts together a simple, but fiendish quiz of questions about what has been in the news during the year- it is amazing how many things you forget, and how many minor facts get remembered...:-)

All I am going to say is never invite any of us to do Countdown...Not unless you've handed us the rulebook and stood over us while we've read it!

As it was a party I dressed up- I've got to get some use out of my Festival of Romance Ball outfit...

Glammed up...

Despite the delays in the trophy presentation- there were a couple of others who were also away and couldn't receive theirs either- I did receive a gift card for my two first place wins.

Now it's back to reality and the Christmas to do list...

Reality Strikes Back...

In more ways than one.

You know those weeks when everything is progressing nicely and then you find you have a long to-do list. Well that's been this week for me.

I'm getting through the list, and still managed to write 1400 words this week, but the 5,000 word March total is looking doubtful. Well there's always April... :-)

The charming and talented Patsy Collins has nominated me for the Reality
blog award.

Now it does come with responsibilities- there are always rules to follow.

Visit the blog of the person who nominated you and link to them on your post. Then answer the questions and nominate other bloggers- and tell them of course...

If you could change one thing, what would it be?

So many things, both personally and in the outside world, but even the bad things can make us stronger. But if I really had to choose, then it would be my fear of spiders.

If you could repeat an age, what would it be?

Definitely my teens. I didn't fit in at school, and was persistently bullied by a few girls because I was different. I was tall, broad and wanted to learn and to do well in my exams to be able to have a career. If I could do that time again - but with the knowledge that everything will eventually be fine.

What one thing really scares you?

Getting Alzheimer's and losing my ability to create characters and give voices and personalities to my characters; and eventually losing that link of reality with my family.

If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be?

I honestly don't know. Because whoever I temporarily became I'd still have to do their job, and if I was going to be anyone then I'd be selfish and want to be someone who doesn't have any demands to be made upon them, or have any responsibilities- it is only a day after all...

So here are the bloggers I'm nominating for the Reality Blog Award:

Lizy-expat writer

Maxi- Scribbler Maxi's Musings

Keith- Dream it, then do it

Lorraine- From the Top of the House

Alan- snailmale-chez l'escargot

Weekend Catch-Up and Belly Dancing...

Yes, I know this post is very late...

(Update: The photos of me belly dancing are at the bottom of this post.)

Wednesday was Awards Night at Nottingham Writers Club, and for the first half hour I was standing up front and announcing the presentations- one of the responsibilities of being the current Chairman- no sitting back with a glass of wine, or other alcoholic/non-alcoholic refreshment and relaxing...

There weren't as many trophies as in past year's- a couple of the


A few of the NWC annual trophies

competitions sadly didn't run, as not enough entries were received.

Some years that happens, and it's a disappointment, but hopefully next year those trophies will be presented.

I'm sure that most writers would have no problem when the subject is open, but it can be much harder when you have to fit it to a specific age (as with children's books) or a set theme.

Blogger and NWC member Keith Havers was the worthy winner of three trophies, including Writer of the Year. You can read his blog here.

Wednesday afternoon I was actually writing a 500 word flash fiction on the theme of 'a Christmas visit' that needed to be handed in to the competition Secretary that evening.

By the end of my story I had my usual issue of realising that I'd just written a scene from a much bigger story. So I don't expect it to do well.

Last December I promised I would do a party piece this year- some belly dancing. I kept my promise, and I will release the photographic evidence as soon as a copy of the photo arrives in my inbox from the club photographer. I only danced for a few minutes... :D

Otherwise the audience were royally entertained by a number of recitations, from the club president and two club members- both serious and fun pieces. And our newest member, Kate, read out the poem she'd been inspired to write during the merriment. Which proves inspiration truly does come from everywhere...

Enjoying the dance

I was going for the Christmas glitter look

and the flowing sleeves to waft about when my arms were
moving.

Below left: striking a pose...

December Approaches, So it Must be 'Britain's 'Most Dreaded Literary Prize'...

Time for the Literary Review's shortlist for the annual Bad Sex in Fiction award...

This is the 20th year, and the ceremony to announce the winner "for the most embarrassing passage of sexual description in a novel" will take place on Tuesday 4th December.

I do wonder if some authors don't leave these dreadful scenes in, rather than edit them to make them better, so they can improve their chance for the shortlist and get their book publicity - no actual cost in time or money needed. 

As it's really not bad publicity on the scale of everything that could be classed as bad publicity...

Others no doubt, just aren't very good at writing such scenes- though I'm sure they think they're okay at the time...

If you had the option, saying you did it deliberately is much better than admitting you write bad sex scenes... :-)

In a year that has seen the rise of 'Fifty Shades of Grey', you might expect the book to have been a sure-fire candidate. But no, and here's why.

"The purpose of the prize is to draw attention to the crude, badly written, often perfunctory use of redundant passages of sexual description in the modern novel, and to discourage it. The prize is not intended to cover pornographic or expressly erotic literature."

So that rules FSOG out...

There've been the usual newspaper articles mentioning names;  the shortlist includes the following: (if you've actually read any of them, and have an opinion, do please comment.)

The Yips by Nicola Barker

The Adventuress by Nicholas Coleridge

Infrared by Nancy Huston

Rare Earth by Paul Mason

Noughties by Ben Masters

The Quiddity of Will Self by Sam Mills

The Divine Comedy by Craig Raine

Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe

"For snippets from the shortlist, follow Literary Review's twitter account, @lit_review. The tweets are tagged as #LRBadSex2012."

I'll definitely be following on Twitter...


 

Comment is Free...

Comment is free. Not sure who said that originally, but I'm sure someone did...

Happy Halloween - if you're reading this on Wednesday; otherwise hello and thank you for
visiting. :-)

Now two delightful bloggers, Patsy and Rosemary have awarded me the top commenters award, thank you ladies.



I enjoy reading the comments you leave me, and I like to read those left by other bloggers (on posts by those I follow - in a non-creepy way of course) as it's good to get other viewpoints on the same subject.

And if you leave a comment here, I know I'm not just talking to the ether...

As those who know me, or have known me for many years will confirm, I usually have an opinion on most things, but I'm getting better at not commenting when it's probably a good idea to keep quiet...

As my top commenters have already been awarded this I'm not sure I have anyone left to mention. But if I look through past posts and find a few, I'll add their names in- so watch out!

The phrase 'comment is free' comes from C P Scott- a British journalist, publisher and politician. He was the editor of the Manchester Guardian (now the Guardian, which has a column, Comment is free ).

The full quote is: "Comment is free, but facts are sacred."

A worthy quote...

I Try to be a Sweetie in Chocolate Week...

Thank you to the wonderful Patsy Collins- a real sweetie- for passing me the Super Sweet Blogging Award.

Now remember it is Chocolate Week. And if you've ever wondered about it's history, then you'll find some interesting facts here.

Now to answering the questions...

1. Cookies or cake?
    Has to be cake- love the smell of chocolate cake as it's cooking.

2. Chocolate or Vanilla?
    Chocolate, most certainly chocolate...

3. What is you favourite sweet treat?
    Choices, choices... A little bit of dark chocolate, preferably with a glass of Rosé.

4. When do you crave sweet things most?
    When I settle down to start writing.

5. If you had a sweet nickname what would it be?
    I don't think I dare answer that one... :-)

Now to pass this on to other sweet things. If you accept the mission then answer these same questions on your blog and pass it on.

(Patsy mentioned something about a Bakers dozen, but I think that's an unlucky number. And actually, one of my Grandfather's was a Baker...)

So I pass the sweet tray onto: Rosemary, Maxi, Angela -sorry I couldn't let you know, the captcha was not accepting me, Keith, Rosalie, Seaview, Alan and Lizy and finally, Fiona.

Now you may not want to take part, or do the post, so you can leave your answers in the comments form if you prefer.
Don't forget to collect the picture to add it to your blog. :-)

(I'd hoped to post this yesterday (Wednesday) but Blogger was refusing to let the links I'd put in, stay there. Glad to say it seems to have worked today...)

Odd Book Titles Voting Time...

Yes it's time to vote (if you're so inclined) for the fun titles in the shortlist for the Diagram Prize, the Oddest Book Title of the Year- for 2011. You can read about it here on the Bookseller website.

"The Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year was first awarded in 1978 to Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice""

(The fact that it is still going suggests there's a slightly dippy portion of the population who like it- me included- and authors who are smart...)

I've voted, and have to say it was a tough choice this year. :-)

My personal favourite is the Estonian sock patterns, but I don't expect my choice to win this year, when it's up against titles like 'Cooking with Poo' ( it's actually Crab) or 'The Great Singapore P*nis Panic...' I think the latter is going to rate highly- and it's the only one available in digital format...

For the full list and voting form, go here. You can see the book covers too- which are quite normal, considering the titles.

If you've managed to miss this prize, then you can find out about it's history and discover what the winning book titles from earlier years were actually about, here.

If you're going to be in the running for a fun award, this is it. And you can be sure that it will get publicity and sales for books that wouldn't get much recognition beyond their own circles, or interest groups...

The winner will be announced on the 30th March.

Are you voting?

Feedback is Important...

As you may know I've been waiting to hear what comments judge Sue Moorcroft wrote about my romance novel entry that won me the Nottingham Writers' Club  Romance novel trophy, late last year.
 (This was just the synopsis and first three chapters submitted.)

Well today I got the comments in the post (thanks to the club Prose Secretary, Christine).

Now I was stunned to win the award in the first place, so I was even more amazed when I read the judge's comments.

Like any feedback there are things I can do to improve the work, and there are certainly a number of those comments- many of which I was aware of, having had time away from the novel.

So I hope you and Sue don't mind me mentioning the really good comments. :-)

It has a "Thomas Hardy-esque plot" and the really pleasing bit for me, was this: "I get the feeling that I'll never be bored or find the action lacking. The writer has a good way with pace and momentum."

The dialogue 'shines out.'

And I've demonstrated 'excellent viewpoint control.'

"This is a promising opening, heavy on plot, pace and focus, and demonstrating a feeling for the nuances of craft."

The comments on the synopsis were as I expected, it was a bit more of a detailed synopsis (outline) than the basic version needed. (I know a good book to help sort that out.)

The feedback has certainly confirmed a few areas that I need to work on- as already mentioned.

The other less obvious value of the comments is this: confirmation of how much I've improved my writing skills, so I know my novel is progressing in the right direction.

Planning for My Novel...

This is actually the first Christmas/New Year holiday when I've had any quiet time to write.

As my Dorset novel is going to be getting attention this year, I decided to repeat the useful planning I did earlier in 2011 for my novella- character sheets and chapter outlines.

It's not that I don't have this information, its just not in one concise form that's easy to refer to- it's on bits of paper, in notebooks and the synopsis and first three chapters.

So I decided to start with getting all my character sheets together, and actually completed about three hours-before the computer got taken over for editing photos by my OH...

I've been using the Character Fact List from 'The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing' and found it really helpful for my novella characters.

So knowing my novel characters still had weak spots, it was surprising to realise that over the last twelve months a lot of my hero's grey areas had finally emerged from the gloom, and I now only had minor points to clarify.

My hero Marcus, has always been much clearer than his love interest, as so often my hero is the first character to step forward when I have an idea. But I think that's just how characters develop for me.

As for my chapter outlines, I do think I'll need to jiggle a few bits about, as aspects of my plot have developed in an interesting- and probably more exciting- way.

(I used to be amazed how a writer could have the whole story in their mind before they began writing, but now I can see how it works.) 

There are aspects of the plot that I haven't resolved yet, but if it works like it did with similar aspects in the novella, then I'm not too worried about sorting them when I get to them.

On Wednesday I hope to have the comments back for the synopsis and first three chapters of this novel- which won the NWC Romance Novel trophy in December.
I'm prepared for the bad bits as well as the good...

A Little Award I Picked Up at Awards Night...

As I mentioned in my previous post, Wednesday evening was the annual Nottingham Writers' Club Awards Night and Christmas Buffet.

Now the instructions were to wear something festive and I duly complied with a headband with antlers and bells on- fortunately I didn't have a red nose to go with them...

A Literary Reindeer

So the presentations began.

The winners of the trophies last December received a certificate to show their earlier success. Then it was the presentation of book token cards for the members who had been placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the quarterly prose competitions and/or the monthly poetry competitions.

Then our club President (author and jobbing writer) Roy Bainton presented the trophies.

Now I only entered the Romance competition to help out.

The synopsis and first three chapters I'd intended to enter wasn't ready by the closing date- I was still only on chapter 2. And as a few of the members who would enter if they had a suitable work, didn't enter this year, so the minimum number of entries for the competition to run, was one short.

As the wonderful Ange had got Sue Moorcroft to judge this year's competition no one wanted to miss the opportunity of getting helpful comments on their work, so I put my Dorset novel in to help out.

(I'd only had an afternoon to give it a quick tidy up and trim.)

So I was amazed last night when the winner of the Romance competition was announced. It was me!

Now I don't yet know how much of my entry was good, and how much bad, as the prose competition secretary was poorly, so it will be January 4th before I find out the comments when I get my manuscript back.

So all I can say is I must have done something right...:-)

And here's the trophy I was presented with...

Winner of the Mary Street Memorial Shield 2011
Carol Bevitt

(photos courtesy of Dennis Apple)

A Good Evening and News to Come....

Wednesday evening was Awards Night at Nottingham Writers' Club. We were short of quite a few regulars as a few were away on holiday and others were ill. In fact a few were suffering tonight with the coughing and croaky voice problem...

But all who turned up enjoyed the evening.

I'm just waiting for a few photos to be e-mailed to me tomorrow, so you'll see my fun headgear and also hear some good news.

But more of that tomorrow...:-)

Being Realistic About Your Writing...

As I write it is 12 days to Awards Night at Nottingham Writers' Club, combined with the annual  restrained Christmas party... I've had a slight relapse on the health front and now need an inhaler for a short while, so hopefully I'll be feeling 100% by the party.

After the awards we have finger food and a few quizzes with chocolate type prizes for the winner/s or the winning table. And this is truly when the hidden competitive streak comes out in all of us- in a good natured way of course. :-)

Chocolate and writers just seem to go together...

It's also the evening I should be getting the comments on my romance trophy entry returned to me. This year it was judged by writer Sue Moorcroft (who is also one of the judges in the Fiction Workshop section in Writers Forum magazine).

So I'm looking forward to seeing what Sue thought about my entry. I am prepared for good news and bad. Though I won't read the comments properly until the cold light of day when I can calmly absorb them.

Once my novella in progress is completed I'll go back to the novel- as I've been contemplating it for the past year and learning more about my characters- and think I'm ready to proceed with it...

I'm realistic enough to know I need to be honest about my writing, and need to make clinical judgements about it, as a well-known novelist suggests.

A L Kennedy in the Guardian has written an article on looking closely at your work and seeing not only it's good points, but the weak areas as well. There are some interesting suggestions included.

We all have areas of writing that we are better at, but it doesn't mean we will always see all those weak spots, so honest but supportive writer friends can be invaluable.

So on Awards Night I'll be clapping the winners, and looking forward to the prospect of another writing year, learning more and steadily improving...

It's Good to Be Friendly...

As Ange at Fonts and Fiction has kindly given me the Friendly Blogger Award I have taken some time to consider who to pass this on to.

So in no particular order as they say...

Steven Chapman- he's fun and is a friend to charity- he's growing facial hair during November to raise money- but be warned he writes horror...

Sally Jenkins- who is another friendly person who shares info and competition news.

Jennifer Thomson- a caring and compassionate friendly person- don't worry about the zombie bits...

Shirley- a lovely friendly person who shares her writing highpoints and actually is a very good poet too.

Rosalind Smith-Nazilli- besides writing she shares her knitting ideas in a friendly way...

Other friendly bloggers have already been highlighted by other winners, and  I too would have added them to my list, among them,  Patsy, Teresa, Sally and Keith.

Friendship is wonderful, online and off. So thank you all.

A Friendly Blogger Shares A Thought...

First I have to say thank you to Rosemary Gemmell for nominating me for The Friendly Blogger Award.

Since I have been blogging I have made a lot of new friends, so thank you all.

As so many of the blogs I too would have mentioned have already
been suggested by other nominees I thought I would do something
slightly different- so I hope you don't mind...

When Steve Jobs of Apple and IPhone fame sadly died last week,
there was a clip on the BBC News of a speech he gave to graduating
students at Stanford University in 2005 accompanying the news report.

If you want to read the whole speech (and it is worth reading) the Guardian published it at the weekend, so look here.

Some of his words really stuck in my mind, and for a writer they are a good reminder. (Quoted from the Guardian item.)

" " And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become." "

An Award For My Blog...

I've recently been given the Versatile Blogger Award by Romy Gemmell- thank you.

Admittedly I've had to think what else I could say about myself  without repetition or inducing boredom...but I hope I've managed it.

1. I met my husband in a library- I was working there, he was looking for a book...

2. One of my teenage writing projects was a sci-fi saga covering 25 years and two generations. Sadly I didn't keep the numerous pages and chapters I wrote. (I have now learnt to keep everything.)

I was very influenced by the original Star Trek series at the time, which probably explains why my aliens were generally humanoid.

3. If I could nominate one book to be turned into a film or tv adaption it would be award winning author Jude Devereux's 'Sweet Liar'. The book actually came out in 1992. It is one of her Taggert family stories and it really is a shame the book didn't have the hero Mike on the cover- I merely mention the word 'muscles'...

It cleverly combines the events surrounding a murder in a 1920's nightclub with the current day, where the hero and heroine eventually solve the mystery of that night in the club (and their personal connections to it) despite the ominous signs of things going wrong- there is still a happy ending.

4. I like traditional scents-especially Rose.

5. I'm hopeless at hand-sewing. My stitches are a little neater and more even now, but when I had to do sewing in secondary school I never got beyond the second project. Actually the teacher kept making me unpick the stitching on the half slip's hem, so I really wouldn't have been any good at making clothes in the 18th century...

6. In Primary School winter PE sessions I was taught Country Dancing- we had to go across the road to the church hall, where I also attended Brownies.

7. I always watch the Eurovision Song Contest with delight and fascination, especially at some of the costumes singers and dancers turn up in. When I was little I once sat at the top of the stairs trying to listen to the contest after I'd been sent to bed at the normal time.

So now to the 7 blogs I'm awarding the Versatile Blogger Award to:

Blog Thoughts from a Broad

Rosalie Warren

My Musings

Chippy

Ramblings of a Frustrated Crime Writer

Jane Retallick

Novel Thinking

My Chance to be Stylish...

Two lovely writers-Teresa Ashby and Patsy Collins- have both awarded me the Stylish Blogger Award, sadly I've been too full of cold, plus coughing and spluttering, to concentrate on it. But I feel a little better now, so I better get on with the big reveal.

Seven things about myself-that's a tough one...

1. I hate Garlic. Well that should be, it doesn't like me. If I accidently eat even a little bit I am ill.

2. My first published letter was when I was eleven years old and it was in a music newspaper- can't remember the name, too long ago.

3. I couldn't read properly until I was 7 years old. I will be forever grateful to my teacher Mrs White, who took extra time in helping me with my reading, and demonstrated how to make specific word sounds. The results of her patience opened a world of books to me.

4. I don't like Marmite, Sprouts or Gravy-I don't think I need to say more...

5. I always played a man in school plays. I went to an all girls school and once you reached the senior years (equivalent to Years 10 and 11 now) we took part in the annual drama production (I was in the drama group anyway). The script was written by our English teacher Mrs Brandt and other members of staff did all the backstage and front of house work.
I played Sir Thomas Boleyn (Anne's father) one year. The next I was Mr Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre. I learnt how uncomfortable high collars on men's shirts could be and that fake whiskers itched.

(The long lasting advantage is I can understand how men in formal dress moved- an advantage for historical fiction.)

Now I have to admit, it was only because I was tall and had short hair...

6. I love long sandy beaches. As a child I lived about an hour by train from the seaside, so many summer Sundays were spent on the beach, with my parents in their deckchairs while I ran between my sandcastle and moat to the sea for water.

7. I have a long-standing admiration for Derek Jacobi. He has a wonderful voice. I first saw him at The Old Vic in Christopher Fry's, 'The Lady's Not For Burning' when my college O' level English Literature class were studying it.

Now blogs that I want to award the Stylish Blogger Award to:

Now Teresa and Patsy (mentioned above) would obviously be top of the list- they're great blogs anyway, but we need to spread this around a bit so here are my suggestions...

Lou Treleaven

Parodies Lost - this has a number of writers so I've chosen the latest posting.

All Write- Fiction Advice

Romy's Regency Romance- Rosemary Gemmel's other blog

Gone Writing

Sandra's Blog

Up the Down Escalator

There are a vast number of interesting blogs out and I always enjoy exploring the blogs mentioned on other sites. So I hope you'll find some you like from my list and theirs.