A Year in Review

As the end of the year approaches, I'm reviewing the twelve months just gone, and I think things went awry somewhere.

I had big plans this year. I was going to get organised, I was going to be motivated, I was going to work hard, and finish writing my romance books, but in the end... I didn't. And when I think back over the last year, I have no idea why. Sure, I was busy, but it's not as if there weren't opportunities to work hard, but for some reason, I didn't make the most of them. 

It's Not Too Late

The year is almost over, but there's still time to get some work done before the new year hits. The problem is how to find motivation for the final few weeks when I haven't had any all year. I guess there's nothing to do but sit at my computer and search for the words, and slowly but surely, bit by bit, the story will get written. 

Next Year

Another way I can make the most of the last few weeks is by preparing for next year, and then when January comes, it gives me the chance to hit the ground running, and maybe it can be a more productive twelve months than the ones just gone. 

One thing I do plan to do is finish some half-written stories. The Lunar Falls series has two books in the works, and Martha's story from The Shadow Coven is still on the to-do list. Those are my priorities before I start another series. 

An Idle Writer

This year might not have been about romance writing, but it wasn't wasted either. I was just more focused on other things, like mothering and getting through the day job, and starting a new education. It's time to make my way back to writing, though. There's time to fit it into my busy schedule. There has to be because it's important and I've missed it. 

Being a romance writer is forever. 

If you enjoyed reading this, then take a look at my other posts or visit my website for author news. 

Feeling Lazy...

 

I don't want to do anything. Even this blog post is an effort, because I just want to lie in bed, eat junk food and watch TV. I don't know why or what is causing this lethargy when it comes to writing and work, but whatever it is, there's no contest between romance writing and napping. Napping is kicking writing's butt. 

Writing Slump

It's not just writing. It's an everything slump, but writing is the thing that's taking the biggest hit. When I can't be bothered to go to the day job, I still have to, or I get fired. The same isn't true of writing. If it were, I'd drag the motivation out from somewhere. I've got half-written romance books that aren't getting any further along. 

Nothing to Say

The problem with being this lazy is that I'm not really motivated to do anything, and that means I have nothing to say. Nothing to write about. Nothing to post about. My head is empty. And I can't imagine it getting better as the weather gets wintery and the evenings get darker. 

One Word at a Time

I don't really have a cure for this idleness, except to take it slowly and let the story progress, one word at a time. Maybe I'll go crazy and take it ten words at a time, after all, that's better than zero words. First a sentence, then a paragraph which grows to be a page. The books will get written extremely slowly, but surely. 

I'm not sure when this slump will end, but I'll trudge through it until it does. 

If you enjoyed reading this post, then take a look at some of my others or head on over to my website for book news and author updates.

Savings: A Penny at a Time

 

I don't have much disposable income. It's a sad but true fact that after paying bills, buying groceries, paying for petrol and the general cost of living, there's not much left over. I know the same is true for a lot of people. Everything is just so expensive. 

The Goal 

My aim is to save a little money.  Not a lot, because there's not much to spare, but if I take it in small steps... Maybe I can save something. It's going to be fairly pathetic. Whatever change I find in my purse, any scrap I can earn. My first instalment is 50p that I got paid for doing a survey. Hey, it's something, right?

Reach the Target 

The target I'm going to start with is £100, and then I'll take it from there. £100. That's the goal. That's the target. I'm saving money 2 Broke Girls style. Scraping together any money I can. Only, I'm not aiming for a cupcake business. 

Let's Do This

Like I said; tiny savings goals for a tiny income, but it's a starting point. I can see where it goes from there. It's going to take a long time to get anything worth calling savings, but I'll keep plugging at it. Right now, though, the first 50p is in the jar. 

If you enjoyed reading this, then take a look at some of my other posts, or head on over to my website for book updates and extras. 

It's Chaos Out There

This was the year I planned to organise, but things have gone awry. I was going to manage my finances, my time, house and wardrobe. Everything, really. Instead, I've done none of that, and, so far, I've kind of lost track of time. Some might say, I've done the opposite of what I planned. Oopsie.

Get Back on Track

Okay. Reset! It's an ordinary Wednesday, halfway through the year, but that seems as good a time as any to restart. I've got my notebooks out, which any writer knows is an integral part of organisation, and I'm trying to be more focused. 

Family, of course, has the priority on my time, but second to that is writing. I've got half-written stories coming out of the whazoo, and it's time I got them finished. 

Planning Ahead

I think the secret to order is looking ahead to the future, which is why I'm already planning Christmas. At the end of each season, prepare for the next. At the end of each day, prepare for the next. At the end of each book, prepare for the next. 

Finding Order

It's chaos out there, and to be a writer, I need to develop some serious time management skills. Organisation is not one of my natural skills. I'm a messy person, and as hard as I've tried, it's not a talent I've managed to develop. 

It doesn't mean I won't try. 

Tomorrow is a new day, and with a one-year-old, it will be an early start. I may as well be as productive as my kid lets me be. I'm looking forward to the order in the chaos. 

Kindle Overload

 

We've just passed the six-month mark, so I've made a mid-year resolution. My plan is to read the books on my Kindle. I've got a few on there. Some were free, some I've read, some are on my digital TBR pile. But the time has come to read them.

Evaluate and Read

I think the six-month mark is a good stage to evaluate things, and so far this year, I've been rubbish at reading. I've been in a slump, and I can't decide what I want to read. 

Time to work through the list, but naturally, it will be in between working on my own books, so it may take a while. I'm about to read a boatload of romance because that's mostly what's on my Kindle. I feel like this is an achievable goal, given that it is reading. I'm good at that. 

New Books

I'm not planning on buying new books while I do this, but come on, be real... I'm not going to be able to resist buying books. That's a hobby all on its own, so for all I know, this will be a resolution that never reaches an end because I'll just keep adding to it. I'm okay with that. 

Alphabetical or Jump In

Do I start with the As or do I pick and choose? That's the question. I think I'll pick and choose. Sometimes you don't fancy certain books, and I don't want to make the slump worse. I want to get into reading again. I want to lose myself in books. 

If you enjoyed this post, then take a look at some of my others or head on over to my website. 

Things I Need to be a Writer

As a romance writer, I don't need a lot, but there are a few things that help me to write the erotic romance novels that I do. Some are a given. The day job funds my writing career, the laptop is essential for the practicalities of being a writer, and my imagination is what makes me a writer. But there are some essentials I couldn't get by without. Or maybe I could, but it wouldn't be as fun. 

Books

Not my own, but other people's. I need the words and stories of other writers. They inspire me, but as well as that, they take me out of my own writing when I need it. They can work like a palate cleanser for fiction. 

The core of the reason, though, is that books are just brilliant. I love writing, but as much as that, I love other writers' words and stories. Their minds work in ways mine doesn't. Their books have plots I could never invent. Their characters are different because they aren't a part of me like mine are.

Tea and Coffee

Coffee kickstarts me in the morning. Tea sustains me throughout the day, and if I'm going to sit at a laptop and write, then I'm going to require tea to keep me there. Some Jaffa Cakes and Bourbon Creams wouldn't go amiss either.  

Music

Music is a powerful thing. It can have an impact on mental health, it can reduce stress, but on a more personal level, it shoots me into writing, in a way that nothing else does. I play music, I think of my book, and scenes play out in my head. If I'm struggling with a scene, and writer's block has me in its grip, then I can usually find my way out with music, especially when it's hand in hand with...

Walking

I put in my earphones and I walk the streets. The important thing is to be careful. I go early, and I stick to the areas that are populated. I look both ways before I cross the street too, and then I can lose myself in my imagination.

Notebook and Pen

This is my other cure for writer's block. If I've stalled on the white screen of a Word document, then switching to hard copy can make all the difference. Lined pages and a pen... It's the way to go. Also, it feeds my stationery addiction. I get to keep buying notebooks. 

Essentials

I'm a romance writer, so I can write with no more than a notebook and pen, or a blank computer document if I need to, but the things I've listed are comforts that make it a much more enjoyable way to do it. 

If you enjoyed reading this article, then take a look at some of my other posts or head on over to my website. 

New Cover

I published my erotic romance Protecting Their Heart quite a while ago now, and I'm working on the second book of the Lunar Falls series right now. 

However, the cover for Protecting Their Heart is a stand-alone cover, and I would like the series to tie together, so for my next paranormal romance book, the second, I'm changing the covers. 

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

I'm a romance writer and I write erotic romance novels. They're sexy and they show it. I mean, they're menage romances. There's no way they're not going to go into detail for the love scenes. 

I recently saw a post online, and they made a good point. If you're reading an erotic romance, maybe you don't want everyone on the train or bus or coffee shop or break room to know. It's nothing to be ashamed of. After all, as stated in Protecting Their Heart, it's about the relationships, not the number of partners, but there is such a thing as discretion, so I've kept that in mind with the new cover.

There are no half-naked men on the cover, though I do miss that. There's no sexy woman. Its a simple cover that doesn't announce to the world what you're reading. 

Budget

It's no secret that I'm a struggling writer. I have a day job, and I live on a strict budget. I don't have money to spare, so while I love being a romance writer, I just don't have hundreds of pounds to spend on the covers, so this one, I've made myself. 

It's not perfect. It might not appeal to everyone, but I'm never going to stop writing erotic romance so until I have money to spare, I'm making do. 

The Reveal

So, without further delay, here is the new cover. Flowers, hearts and inside: a story with two sexy wolf shifters and the woman who is theirs. 

Like I said, it might not be to everyone's taste, but it's mine, and it's part of the story now—part of Lunar Falls. 

If you enjoyed reading this post, please take a look at some of my other posts or visit my website for book extras. 

 

Meet Alice, Liam and Noah

 I'm working on an instalment for the Lunar Falls series. I'm trying to keep it short because it's an extra little story I hadn't planned on, but what can you do when the plot bunnies are stubborn? Nothing to do but write. Keep reading for a small introduction to the members of the Accalia wolf pack and the woman they want to claim. 

Alice Taylor

Alice has come to Lunar Falls looking for a safe place to live where she can earn money to work off an inherited debt. 

She's started waitressing in the diner alongside her new friend Sammie. (Does anyone remember Sammie?) She has no family left now. No siblings, no cousins. She's alone in the world. Although, not for much longer. 

She has long, red, curly hair, a wide smile, and a curvy body, and she's bright, lovely, and smart. She's an optimist and sees the good in people. 

Liam Sharpe

Liam is a wolf shifter and a member of the Accalia Wolf Pack. He owns a bar and he works all the time. 

He's pensive and professional. For a long time it was just him and his mother, and he was man of the house. His mother is remarried now, and his stepfather is great, but he shoulders the burden of responsibility. 

He's tall and handsome with auburn hair and tanned skin. 

Noah Brennan

He lives with Liam who is his best friend. As close as brothers. He owns a construction company.

Noah grew up in a loving home with his parents and his two sisters. he's stubborn and protective, and his nieces and nephews love him. He's focused and driven but has a cheekiness. 

Handsome with blond hair and stubble on his square jawline. He mostly wears jeans and t-shirts but can up his professional game when needed. 

Their Worlds Collide

These three characters are about to become connected in a way none of them could have prepared for. With a fiercely independent mate who is determined to stand on her own two feet and not rely on the security these two shifters offer, how will Liam and Noah convince her to take a chance on them? 

If you want to read more about these characters then keep your eye out for their book. The next in the Lunar Falls series. Also, if you would like to stay up to date on my writing then follow me on socials, take a look around this blog or visit my website. 

Fresh Start

 Christmas is over. New year is coming!

My search for an organised life is underway. My first step was to identify which part of my life to focus on at the beginning. Which part takes priority? Well, I think I found it. 

Where to Start?

General tidying is where I begin my mission. I basically live in one room. Not even a big room. This small space is my home and I have a lot of stuff. My belongings aren't at hoarders level, but I sew which comes with a lot of equipment and obviously, I own a lot of books. Not to mention notebooks, cooking equipment, shoes, makeup, clothes in general. It all fills that small area quickly. 

Christmas:

It's a wee bit early to be packing up Christmas, given that we've not even reached New Year yet, but even with this, I'm looking for order. Christmas jumpers boxed away together. Tree decorations together. Ornaments, candles, tinsel... everything has its own place even in storage. 

Books:

I love books and I own a lot of them, but this year, I'm planning to use my local library a lot more, to save myself buying them all the time. My books have different categories. 

There are the ones that I like to own and display on a bookshelf like a trophy - these are usually from my favourite authors like Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, Johanna Lindsey and Gena Showalter. 

Then there are the favourites that I keep on my Kindle or reader, but I'll need them all. These are from authors like Eve Langlais, S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem. 

I often buy Mills and Boon books from market stalls and charity shops because authors like Betty Neels, Emma Darcy and Patricia Wilson are often found there and I love them. 

There are the obvious classics that you have to own too. So I have my copies of Jane Austen's books, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Little Women. They're also shelf trophies. 

That's my Keep-Forever collection. 

There are a lot of books on my TBR pile that I know I'll read once and not go back to but I've always kept them just in case. I'm trying to change that. Now I'm trying to clear my reading decks of these books. Here's how:

• Local Library: The library in my area has an ebook app that supplies books I can easily read on my phone or tablet. And if I'm feeling in the mood for a hard copy, the nearest library is a ten-minute walk. 
• Get Rid: Sometimes when it comes to disposing of books I won't read, I just haven't found the ruthlessness, but this year that changes. Or at least, it changes a little bit. I've already started passing them on to friends. I'll donate to charity shops, and I've found an app where I can sell some. Not for much, but at least it helps me feel like I'm not just discarding them. 
• TBR: I own a lot of books I haven't read. It will make such a difference if I can make my way down this pile, which is in fact, many piles. 

Hobbies

I'm a crafter, particularly sewing and knitting; supplies can take over any empty space. I've started using toolboxes for tools of the trade. I've got tubs for works in progress. Bags for projects. Baskets of wool. But the main way to reduce the crafting chaos will be to use the materials and fabrics that I already own. Make them into clothes. 

Which brings me to...

Clothing and Makeup

I have a lot of clothes. And a lot of shoes. And a lot of makeup. Through 2025, I need to buy less. I could try selling some of what I own or that I've outgrown, but I've tried that through one of the clothes-selling apps and it was like a full-time job that made me very little money. I would post a belt for sale and people would try and haggle it down to a pound, then to send it, the nearest place was a five-minute drive away. With petrol prices, I'm pretty sure that ended up costing me money. 

So I'll try and buy less, try and make some from my fabric stash. I'll use the makeup I own. Utilize what I have. 

Office

I don't have an office. I have a laptop and a tablet and a phone and an epic stationery collection. That's my office. But it's spread everywhere, there is no order to it, so for the next year, I'll dedicate a section to writing. That's my goal. Even if it's a box or a case or the corner of the dining table. 

And so it Begins

Those areas are my initial starting point. That's the mess that needs order, and I have to find that order around my family, general housework, cooking dinner, the day job and writing. So... I'm going to be busy. 

The trick will be to stay motivated throughout sleepless nights (because I have a baby) and get my s*#t  together when I'd rather sit and watch Teen Wolf for the 6th time. It's my ultimate hobby. 

Getting my belongings in order is where it all starts. It's my January. 

If you liked reading this blog then take a look at some other posts or follow my Resolution journey on my website. 

Making a Resolution

“New Year, New Feels, New Chances, Same Dreams, Fresh Starts.” - Atticus Poetry

I'm keeping my New Year's Resolution simple this year. For 2025, my goal is to be more organised. That's it. It's that basic. Usually, I'm a romance writer who lives in chaos, but I know my way through it. I built a path through my mess. Let's see what happens when I change my ways and apply order to all aspects of my life. 

What I Hope...

Home, work, writing, and health. They're all areas of life where I fly by the seat of my pants. If I take it methodically, one area at a time, let's hope that streamlines things for me and makes my goals attainable.

What I'm hoping for is a domino effect: that as I get one part in order, it will impact another aspect until, bit by bit, I become an organised person. And if I put it into practice, it will become a habit. I already love a to-do list, right up until I have to do the stuff. 

Motivation

This is going to take a little research. Organisation doesn't come naturally to me. I'm a messy person and I always have been. In childhood, I was constantly grounded for having a messy room. I have paperwork everywhere. Notebooks written in and then scribbled out and written in again - most of them half-full or less. I pile up clothes in giant heaps and I rarely plan. At least not successfully. 

It sounds like it will be simple to change, but if that was the case I would have done it years ago. I'm planning to plan. That's what I figure will give me the best shot.

Back to School

Remember back at school when you had timetables for every lesson, you covered your books in brown paper that you would then graffiti. With school, there was scheduling and homework books. There was a set break time and lunchtime. There was a system. I miss that structure of my day-to-day life. 

Now I work in a job with shift patterns so I can work any hour of the day. I have a child so I eat when I have a minute to spare, sometimes not at all. I decide what I'm making when it's time to make it. Remember school dinners. We had chocolate custard, hard pizza and a dinner lady who walked around making sure we ate either potatoes or salad. (You know the chaos is bad when you hanker back to the days of school dinners.) 

I hated school. I was bullied, I was kinda lazy and I hated homework, but now I want to learn. It's the routine and order of it that I really miss. That and the lack of responsibility. I just had to get myself to lessons, and that was that. 

Where to Start?

I have no idea! As I already said, this is going to take research. And I have to fit it all around the day job and the romance writing. Hopefully, in the end, it will make things faster and more efficient for me. Fingers crossed. 

I think my first step is to identify the area where my life needs order the most and start there. I'm gonna be making some lists. Time to get out my half-scribbled notebooks. 

Let's Get Started

I could wait until January 1st to start, but I'm going to cheat and give myself a few extra days. I can at least start the planning process of this New Year's Resolution. I can pick which area needs the most change and figure out how to put it into effect. 

So, let's get going. Mission organisation: Inititaed.

If you enjoyed reading this then you can follow my journey by visiting the Resolutions page of my website. 

Author Update

 Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
–William Feather

I want to write an update about what I've been doing and where I've been, but if I'm being honest, there isn't much to say. I've been persevering with romance writing, but life is stubborn and continually gets in the way. It means there isn't much to say, but I'll try. 

Plot Bunnies: A War

I have a work list. I know which books I'm working on now and which ones I'll be working on next, and I give myself a strict rule that I don't deviate from the list. But for some reason, ideas keep flying at me, and I really want to develop them. 

But I've been good, so far. I've stuck to the list of romance books that I'm meant to. I merely write the notes so I don't forget them and try to move on. One though, has snuck through the barrier and made its way to the list. 

A menage story, contemporary - not paranormal for a change. That one is now in development too. 

The Shadow Coven

Martha Martha Martha. Her story is progressing, but I admit, it is progressing slower than I would like. There are a couple of side projects that are taking some time, but Martha's story will be complete early next year. 

Lunar Falls

One of the projects that is drawing focus is a short novella in the Lunar Falls series, but because my novellas never actually end up short, it means it will take a little longer than I planned. And this story is being written before Martha. I thought that was a good idea back when I thought it would be short. 

The Year is Ending

Farewell, 2024. We've less than two months left of the year and then we get to start on page one again. I love a new year. It always feels like a fresh start and with the amount of work I've achieved this year, I need that fresh start. Hopefully next year, I will have more books published. 

There were a lot of drastic life changes for me this year, and while they were good things, it means I'm having to figure out a new balance. 2025 seems like the year for that.

If you want to stay updated on my goings on, visit my website where there are links to my social medias. 

Book Goals

"I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them." – Emma Thompson

I'm a romance writer so it's no secret that I love books. And romance books? Them's my jam. Reading and writing are major parts of my past, present and future. I've always read, I've always written, and that isn't going to change.

Writing Goals 2024

We're nearing the latter part of the year, and I have writing goals to fulfil, and not much time to do it in. The scraps of writing time that I snatch are becoming more and more important if I'm going to achieve my goals. 

• Accalia Mini

This is the book I'm working on now and obviously, that is not the official title, but the filler title for the novella that is my work in progress. It's a shifter romance that I'm shimmying in, between Protecting Their Heart and Rose's story.

• Martha's Book

It's gonna get written, I swear it is. Slowly and surely the words that tell Martha's story will get typed. It's just going to happen after Accalia Mini. 

• London Baby

This is a new series and I'm working on book one, and the goal is to have it written by the end of the year, even if it's not printed until next. It's a menage romance set in my favourite city: London.

 Those are the three. The three that I want to complete in 2024. Before January 1st 2025 my goal is to complete these projects and then start fresh with more next year. I just have to cram it in between motherhood, day jobs and sleep. I can do it. 

 

Reading Goals 2024

Up to now, my goals have been to read my library books and reduce my TBR pile, but I've got a lot of books and my TBR pile does not seem to be reducing. After my trip to the book stall at the market, it's actually bigger than it was. 

Reading goals are fairly general for me, because you don't know what you'll feel like reading until you're choosing the book, but there are a few authors that I would like to catch up on, because I've fallen behind. 

Lack of funds means I can't always afford to buy the books I want and so the novels by my favourite authors that l like to own and display proudly on my bookshelf are building up. 

• Gena Showalter

The Lords of the Underworld series is one my favourites. I absolutely love the books but the last one I read was The Darkest Touch which means there are about six Gena Showalter books I have yet to read. Some major catching up to do. 

• Nalini Singh

The writer love of my life. Oh, Nalini Singh, your words are so perfect. I managed to buy two of these books when I got a book gift card, but there are still a lot of them that I don't own. I need my Nalini books for my bookshelves!

• Eve Langlais

Kindle collection. Eve Langlais's books are funny, sassy and the women are curvy and don't take crap from anybody. She also writes and publishes quicker than I can afford so there's a large backlog of these books I have yet to buy. 

• Kresley Cole

I feel like Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter go hand-in-hand. If you've read one, then you have to read the other. Maybe I feel that way because for me, one led to the other. Paranromal Romance is my favourite genre, and Kresley is the queen. 

I Love the Love Books

Obviously, there are way too many books on my to-buy list for me to get and read this year, but if I can just get some, I'll be a happy romance reader, and if I can complete my writing goals, I'll be a happy romance writer. 

I've got book lists all over and I can't wait to see that list go down. 

If you liked this article then take a look at some of my other posts or head on over to my website to read more there. 

 

 

 

Time to Write

These aren’t the easiest times we're living in right now. Financially, it seems like there are nothing but obstacles. Stability is a goal.

It takes a lot of hours at work just to get by, which can make being a romance writer an extra challenge. I’d love to spend all my free time editing, but I guess the trick is finding free time when I have a burning desire to eat and have a roof over my head.

Priorities

I read somewhere that ‘if it's important to you, you’ll find the time.’ Well, whoever said that wants to take a closer look at the high cost of rent and groceries and car insurance, and they’ll understand why my priorities are the ones that pay.

Except, they’re also kinda right. Being a writer doesn’t pay me much, that’s why I have the day job, but I still manage to find scraps of time to scrawl words on paper.

Even this blog. It's 11pm, my baby is sleeping in his cot beside me, the house is quiet and I’m writing this with my phone. It’s important to me, so I’m finding the time. This week, anyway.  

Day in the Life

A lot of my writing actually gets done this way. In bed with my phone, or a notebook in the kitchen while I prepare food, even in the shower. Whenever I can. It may take me a long time, but I get there in the end, even if it cost me a bit of sleep. Too much sleep. I love sleeping.

Being Vigilant

I do try my hand at time management but it’s never been my strongest skill, and I’m such a fan of procrastination. Organising my bookshelves just seemed so important when it came time to write a synopsis.

I do all the things that are supposed to help. Things like to-do lists and drinking coffee and forcing myself to open the document and not wait for inspiration.

It all comes back to prioritising what’s important, but this is also real life, so there are often times that I open the document and have to abandon it to make dinner, take my dog out, or settle a tired baby.

Someone once asked how I have time to write and the truth is I don’t. But I do it anyway.

I’m a Romance Writer

Maybe I have a little more expendable time than others because I keep my romance fictional. It’s all on the page, and it means my time is mine. These really are hard times though, and it would be nice not to have to work all the time just to stay afloat.

Hey, at least we’re in this together, right? In the words of Brandon Lee in The Crow, ‘ It can’t rain all the time.’

In the meantime, I’ll be working on my next book in bed on my phone.

If you liked this post then take a look at some of my other articles, or visit my website. 

Bethany's Camera

 

Bethany believed in magic. She was a witch after all. It was kind of a gimmee that she believed in what she knew to be true.

She’d celebrated Summer Solstice the night before with all her sisters and she’d stolen some of the sunflowers they’d used to decorate the house, to fancy up her studio a bit. They were perfect props for the adorable photoshoot she’d just done with a West Highland Terrier and a three-year-old little blonde girl.

So, yes, an immortal witch in a coven who had just celebrated Summer Solstice obviously believed in magic, but that wasn’t the type of magic she was thinking about.

What Bethany meant was art. Okay, she admitted that sounded cheesy. But it was also true. Art was entirely magical to her.

At first, she’d been drawn to painting but over the last decade or so, she’d switched to photography. She was always hidden behind a camera. Her sisters groaned when they saw her coming, but she didn’t care. Life was intriguing through a lens. It was more beautiful if she could frame it.

Right then, for example, as she walked through the town centre, the flea market was set up, with every stall selling second hand goods, and each topped with a colourful tarpaulin that would have made a bright, uniform image.

She stopped in front of a stall with a red striped canopy, and rain from the British summer trapped in the material. The market stall was selling old camera equipment, and Bethany noticed a particular camera. Vintage and obsolete now, with the range of SLRs and camera phones available, but she smiled when she saw it, because it was the make and model of the first camera she’d ever held.

It had a silver body with black leather and looking through the viewfinder had brought her intense joy. She’d snapped photographs of everything when she’d owned this camera, wasting reels and reels of film on ordinary flowers and overhanging branches, straight roads, wooded forests. None of it had been boring to her.

Now, it was almost ironic that with the unlimited number of digital images she could take, she was much more particular and took a lot less.

The price tag on the camera was £8. It wasn’t worth anything except nostalgia. She searched for the seller of the stall and made eye contact with a man in his late twenties who immediately approached her.

“I’d like this please,” she said.

“Sure thing.” His gaze lingered on her face as she handed him the money. Did she have food on her chin or something? “This is going to sound really forward,” he continued, “But can I have your number.”

The abruptness of the request shocked Bethany. “Um…” What was happening? She wasn’t like her sister Martha. She wasn’t searching for her mate. She wasn’t hoping she would find love now that the goddess had forgiven them and it was possible. She was still enamoured with the world, as terrible and as heartbreaking as it could be, and that was enough for her.

“I don’t think so,” she replied, shaking her head.

“Okay, fair enough. How about instead, you let me buy you a drink. There’s a place there.” He jerked his head at a small coffee shop with silver tables outside.

He was handsome, this man. He had a dimple in his right cheek and the beginning of lines around his eyes when he smiled.

“I have a family thing to get to.” Not entirely untrue. With the number of sisters in her coven, there was always something she could tag onto.

“One coffee. Ten minutes,” he suggested.

She played her old/new camera between her hands. This man wasn’t her mate, and Bethany didn’t go on dates, but maybe it was thinking back to the girl she’d been when she’d first discovered art and photography, maybe it was thinking about how excited she was with what her future held. Something made her say, “Yes.”

The camera sat on the table between them as Bethany spent time with someone other than her sisters for the first time in as long as she could remember. This wasn’t going anywhere. It was just a coffee. But it was something. 

The End

If you enjoyed this story, you can find more on my website by clicking here. 

Dreams of Distant Places

 And not so distant places. 

I'm a romance writer so a sense of romance is built in me, and I'm not even as romantic as I could be. I don't like weddings, I don't need a path of rose petals, and a room full of candles just makes me wonder how they got them all lit and how long it takes to blow them out.

But I do love the idea of soulmates, of tangled limbs and twisted sheets, of mixed breaths. Even when I'm not romantic, I'm still a dreamer. 

What Do You Daydream About?

I see wet pavements in foreign cities where I sit under cover at a table, drinking wine and eating food I can't get at home. I see myself in a two-piece on the beach, tropical sunshine warming my skin while crystal water laps at my feet. I see airport journeys and ferry trips. Driving on the wrong side of the road. Friendly strangers. New languages. 

Those are daydreams though. Reality is a little different. Reality is day jobs, budgeting money, and cooking dinner. It's responsibility, bills and parenting. And if I want to travel I have to save up to do it. Save up for a long time. 

Even staycations are few and far between. I don't get many trips to the seaside and I haven't even journeyed to London for years and that's my favourite city in Britain.

Writing is a Dream

I find time to write because I'm a romance writer and it's important to me, but imagine being able to do it in the daytime because I earn enough to not need a day job. That's the dream! To let the words flow. To spend as long as I want on a piece of writing without having to stop because my shift starts early in the morning. 

The dream is to have people reading my books and wanting more. For people to care about my characters as much as I do. To not be an echo in a void.

Maybe I'm getting a bit contemplative but it is eleven twenty at night. Almost midnight. The time of dreams.

Reality is Okay Too.

I'm pretty damn happy with things as they are. As unromantic as I am, and as much as I daydream about the future, I feel content with all I have. Sure, I'd like a newer car, a bigger home for my babies and me, and financial security, but saving up for things I want isn't a bad thing. 

I'll take the holidays I want eventually. I'll earn more money. I'll get by. I'm getting pretty good at budgeting, and when it comes to love? Well, I'm a romance writer. I'll write it. 

If you enjoyed this blog then I have plenty of others on this site to read, or for book news, you can visit my website. 

Beltane

My first book River’s Heart is the first of The Shadow Coven series. It’s series about a cursed coven who have finally found the goddesses forgiveness and now they’re finding their mates.

Wicca and magic is a major theme of the series and with Beltane upon us, let’s take a look at exactly what it is.

What is Beltane?

There are eight sabbats in the Wiccan religion and Beltane is one of four fire festivals throughout the year. The others are Imbolc, Lammas, and Samhain.

Given that Beltane and Samhain are opposites of each other, with Beltane celebrating life when Samhain honours death, you might be surprised to know that they actually have some things in common. It’s during these two holidays where the veil between life and death are thinnest, and both mark a change in the year.

Beltane, however, takes us from a long winter and into a blooming summer.

We get longer and brighter days and the earth flourishes with blossoms, leaves and natural magic. We see the start of the summer farming season. We celebrate purity and protection. We find new life.

More interesting to an erotic romance writer, though, is this season of fertility and passion. Hell, it’s the season of lust.

You’ll probably be invited to more weddings as we enter this time of year, or if you have Wiccan friends, handfastings. It’s a sabbat full of sensuality and sexual energy.

In fact, some people will encourage you to have a little sexy time in your garden. Just try not to shock the neighbours.

When is Beltane?

Beltane takes place between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, It’s traditionally held on the 1^st of May.

 Decorate Your Altar.

When it comes to decorating your altar, think about the colours of spring. Greens, yellows and blues. You want lush colours. Colours of the flowers, of the grass and of the sky, and you can use them for your altar cloth or your candles.

Frankincense and rose are good choices for your oils or incense, and when choosing gemstones, consider rose quartz, fire agate or aventurine.  

You can add a bouquet of spring flowers to your altar. Daffodils, daisies, tulips, dandelions, lavender. Include peppermint and rosemary too.

Beltane is one of the four fire festivals, but it might not be easy for you to include a bonfire in your ritual. An alternative is to represent the element on your altar. You can do this with candles, with a small caldron filled with yellow and orange items to imitate flames. Even paper will work for this. Another option is to simply use images of fires. Whatever works for you.

Other symbols for your ritual include May baskets, floral crowns, chalices, antlers, honey and oats, and fruits like cherries and pomegranate.

How to Celebrate.

Dance around a bonfire, weave around a maypole: there are many ways to celebrate this festival.

Easiest methods are to make May baskets, or you can wash your face in the morning dew, decorate your garden bush with ribbons, The most simple and natural way to show your appreciation for Beltane is to go outside. Spend some time outdoors. It’s as easy as that.

A Fertile Earth

In wiccan mythology, Beltane is the time of the year when the goddess and god came together to fertilise the earth, and because of this, the world bursts with new life. Celebrate by sharing mead and cake with your family. Make the most of this time of love and passion.

 If witch romance is your thing then River’s Heart is just the beginning of The Shadow Coven series, and if you enjoyed reading this article then you can read more like it on this blog.

 

 

A New World

 I'm currently working on the first book in what will be my third series. This series is a little different to the others because it doesn't include any supernatural elements. This series will be a love story set in London. 

The Three Series

The three series of books I'm writing are The Shadow Coven, Lunar Falls and this, as yet unnamed London love stories compilation, and these are the worlds I will be concentrating on for the foreseeable future. 

As a romance writer I love creating worlds and watching them develop and I can't wait to write the stories of all the characters who are just waiting to fall in love. Read on for a little information about the worlds that are about to grow. 

The Shadow Coven

When love makes its way to a cursed coven...

Years ago the sisters of the Shadow Coven committed an act of evil and for that they were punished. The witches of the coven would no longer find their soul mates, but be destined to live out their eternity alone, without true love and without children. 

The descendants of these witches have lived knowing they only had each other, but centuries after the evil act, a goddess has forgiven the witches and now they're soulmates are finding their way to The Shadow Coven and a world of witchcraft. 

Protecting Their Heart

Home to the Accalia wolf pack.

Lunar Falls is a small town and it's the home of the Accalia pack of wolves. Their land is in this town and though the shifters' and humans' lives are intertwined in town, the territory of the wolves is forbidden to all without an invitation. Trespassers will be killed - not eaten. 

That is until Penny, a human female who lives on the border is chased onto their land and into the arms of two male shifters. Not only is this trespasser spared. They want to keep her. 

Now, with every story, the wolves of the Accalia wolf pack are connected to others outside their pack. 

The London Series

Love and passion in the city of London.

Four roommates living their lives in London are each about to find love in a way they never expected. It's not just one man for these women. In this menage series, it's two men for each woman. 

These four friends are about to be whipped into a world of money, romance and passion. 

Still to Come...

Along with the first instalment of this new series, the next books I'll be releasing will be Martha's story in The Shadow Coven and Rose's story in Lunar Falls, both characters we've already met in River's Story and Protecting Their Heart. 

You can visit my website for book extras, including free short stories, or take a look around this blog and read more here. 

Sneak Peak: Meet Martha

Martha is the female main character of my work in progress. The second book in the Shadow Coven series which is a paranormal romance series about a cursed coven who has just been given forgiveness. The book focuses on the 28-year-old witch who we first met in River's Heart and who is about to have her own story told. 

Who is Martha?

Martha is a vital part of the coven. She's strong but shy and she's as loyal as they come. Nothing is more important to her than her sister witches. She's been seeking her mate, but as the book starts she's tired of looking, and she makes the decision to give up dating. 

She's in a transitional stage of her life, having just lost her job at the library she's worked at for years, but everything is about to change for Martha.

Martha's Story

Martha's book has romance, sex, magic and adventure, not to mention a deeper look into her coven and the witches who are her family. This book-smart, stubborn but naive female is going to find herself in trouble. 

The book is a work in progress. I'm currently making my way through the first draft of this paranormal romance book. If you're looking for something to keep you amused between books though, you can visit my website for free short stories and book extras. 

Or take a look around and read some of my blog posts here. 

Between (Writing) Jobs

 One book finished... Another to start.

Protecting Their Heart is officially released, and I've been on a bit of vaycay before getting back to writing. Even a romance writer needs a break. 

Now, though, the break is over. Time to work. Time to write that book. 

It's been quite a rest period, and I admit that there have been feelings of guilt. So how long is too long when you stop writing? I felt justified when I decided to spend some time on other hobbies, reading books, and binge-watching boxsets, after all, I don't take time off at Christmas. I just keep writing.

Now I'm getting back to it, I feel like I've taken too much time. If I hadn't had that break, think how far through my first draft I would be...

Is It Okay to Rest?

Heck, yeah. When you work a day job, as I do alongside writing, you get annual leave. You get vacation days. Because burnout is a real thing. 

You might still think about your project and that's okay, but it's also okay if you don't.

Take a break because it's been proven that those who take time off are more productive, and happier. 

Warning Signs 

How do you know it's time to take a rest? Look out for these feelings:

Writer's Block

Sure, maybe you can push through writer's block. Maybe you just need to take a walk, read something else, switch to longhand. But maybe it goes deeper. If you're stuck, deeply stuck, then don't be afraid to take some time for yourself. 

Exhaustion

This could be the border of burnout. If you can't face sitting down at the screen and getting words down, if you're looking for a way to avoid it, then it won't benefit you to force yourself. All you're doing is increasing that fatigue. 

If dread accompanies your writing then you're doing something wrong. It doesn't have to be fun every second, and it doesn't have to be easy, but you should want to do it. It should be important in the moment. You should still love being a writer. 

You Just Don't Want To

I love writing. The stories I'm plotting and planning always play in my brain, so if I don't want to do it at all, then that means there's more wrong than a lack of motivation. This isn't the same thing as being stuck on a scene, or a part of your book not being as fun to write as another. This is when there's no will at all. 

Something More Important 

Writing can't always be your first priority. It's not possible. We're adults, and we have other responsibilities. Whether that be a day job, a family, or something else... If you have something in your life that needs to be resolved first or put before your book... Writing will still be there. It will wait for you. 

How to Take a Break

I have a lot of hobbies and many things that I like to do, but most of all, my favourite thing is books books books. After all, it's why I'm a writer. So, if I have time to spare, I'm going to spend a chunk of it reading. 

I'm also going to watch TV. It's the perfect opportunity to catch up on shows you've always wanted to watch but never had the time. Binge-watch, baby. It's what streaming services are for!

There are a thousand things you can do. Go outside, get exercise, eat out, eat lots, see your friends, meditate, go dancing, drink cocktails, paint, draw, skate, ski. There are so many things in the world to do. There's no way that you won't find something you love. 

Romance Writer Clocking In

All vacations must come to an end, and mine has reached that point. That's not a bad thing. As I've already said, I love writing, and the story ideas and scenes don't stop coming because I'm doing something else. 

I've got so many stories I want to tell, and I can't wait to share them. To meet new characters, and find out what happens to them. To develop old characters and learn new things about them. 

Protecting Their Heart is on sale, but I have plenty to be getting on with. After all, the books to be written by a romance writer never ends. There's always writing to be done.  

If you enjoyed reading this blog then feel free to read some of my others, or take a look around my website and learn about my books and book extras. 

Spring Equinox

 

March is the month of the Spring Equinox, an important sabbat in the witch's calendar, and the first day of spring. 

Sabbats are celebrations for a witch to mark the passing of the year. They coincide with the seasons and rhythms of the earth, and when we celebrate them, we follow the footsteps of our ancestors. We connect to the energy of the sun and moon. 

I'm not just a writer of paranormal witch romance. I also celebrate the sabbats, so let's take a look at the spring equinox. 

What is Spring Equinox?

Equinox is a time of equal day and night, and after the spring equinox, the days get longer. For witches spring equinox is also known as Ostara - named after the Germanic lunar goddess, the embodiment of the great goddess, who gave birth to the sun god at winter solstice. 

Throughout spring equinox we get early sunrises and late sunsets, and spring is a time of rebirth, of renewal, and of balance. Honour and ruminate on everything you've achieved since winter solstice. Think of what you would like to achieve over the season, and what you hope will bloom.

Decorate Your Altar

Setting up and decorating your altar doesn't have to be difficult. Cover your altar with a cloth of your choosing, and items that represent the elements. When it comes to choosing flowers look outside at which are in bloom. 

Decorate with nature-themed items, like painted eggs, fallen feathers, flowering bulbs and earthenware with a handful of soil to represent the planting season. Include water to symbolise spring rain and don't forget candles in pastel colours. 

Non Ritual

You don't have to do a full ritual to honour the sabbat. You can do that in your daily living. Immerse yourself in nature by taking a walk outside in whatever weather you can. As a British writer, rain is almost a given for me. 

Another way, is to spring clean and donate clothing to charity. Or you can even just go into your own garden and plant flowers. Don't have a garden? Then plant pots works too. It's about your intent. Your focus. Your honour of this world and its energy. 

A Wiccan Romance Writer

There are so many ways you can celebrate the spring equinox that doesn't have to make you feel witchy if you're not. But if you are, then you can go all the way and honour spring with a ritual. 

Maybe you don't have time on the exact day, maybe your busy life makes taking time out for a ritual challenging, but that's okay too. There are no strict rules when it comes to sabbats, but it's worth taking a little time for yourself and welcoming nature into your life. 

I'm a wiccan writer with a day job, which doesn't give me much spare time, but there are always simple ways to be a part of nature and this world. 

If you liked reading about this then take a look around my blog and read some of the other wiccan posts, including a free short story set after the events of River's Heart.