I’m over on Kathy Sharp‘s blog today, sharing my experiences as a writer in Dorset. Why not pop over and have a read? Or you might like to check out “Watered Down” a quirky story by Kathy which is published on CafeLit.
Gorgeous covers
Here are all the current titles in the short fiction series published by Chapeltown Books. A group of good looking covers with enticing stories inside.
Paisley Shirt…and other stories
Badlands: A collection of flash fiction – short tales, long shadows
Brightly Coloured Horses: Twenty-seven very short human stories
Potpourri: an eclectic mix of stories and poems by Anusha VR
Slimline Tales: ideal for your body and brain by Roger Noons
From Light to Dark and Back Again: a collection of very short stories to suit every mood
January Stones 2013: one a day, written in January, welcoming returning light
My collection Paisley Shirt is available as a Kindle Edition through Amazon and paperback copies can now be purchased from all good bookshops. Recommended bookshops in Dorset include Serendip, Lyme Regis; The Book Shop, Bridport; Winstone’s, Sherborne; Gullivers, Wimborne Minster; Westbourne Book Shop, Bournemouth; and Waterstones, Dorchester.
4* and 5* reviews of Paisley Shirt can be found on goodreads. If you do decide to purchase a copy of Paisley Shirt, further reviews are very welcome.
National Trust: Lacock Abbey
David has held life membership of the National Trust since a maiden aunt left him £100 when he was eleven. Here is his membership card complete with boyhood signature.
The membership allows an accompanying guest to enter free of charge, so we tend to gravitate towards National Trust properties when out and about. Recently we visited Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire. Both the Abbey and properties in the town are administered by the National Trust and this makes for an interesting visit. The Abbey is situated within extensive grounds where you can see the approach of spring.
The building benefits from a variety of architectural styles owing to its history. First as an Augustinian abbey, then the home to a Tudor rogue, and finally as a family home and the birthplace of photography. In more recent times it has acted as a film location to a variety of productions including Harry Potter.
Cloister that appears in Harry Potter
I usually come away from these visit with ideas for creative writing. Word prompts include stone feathers and stone blindfolds. Watch this space for creative outputs!
Paisley Shirt Kindle Edition OUT NOW
Very pleased to say that the Kindle Edition of Paisley Shirt is now available to download from Amazon. The paperback will follow shortly and I’ll be giving details of my book launch then.
I’m delighted to be in good company at Chapeltown Books with other short fiction writers who have publications in the same series. Here is the cover for Badlands,a collection by Alyson Faye which includes short fiction inspired by ghost stories, old movies, derelict buildings and real life issues.
And another by Allison Symes, From Light to Dark and Back Again a collection of very short stories to suit every mood.
I’m very much looking forward to the publication of Amanda Huggin’s collection Brightly Coloured Horses. The cover image is also by Amanda, what creative talent!
Kite Collectors: Man in the Paisley Shirt
With my collection of short fiction Paisley Shirt going to print shortly, I wondered if there were musicians also inspired by the same piece of clothing. A search of YouTube identified two tracks with my favourite being “Man in the Paisley Shirt” by The Kite Collectors from their 2013 album Mildred’s Tree.
On the website, I learnt about The Kite Collector’s music:
Known for well-crafted songs with a strong lyrical content, The Kite Collectors were formed in 2013. Hailing from the South West of England, the band takes their inspiration from the mod sub-culture, early psychedelia and garage rock. The resultant mix of influences and attitudes is a quality blend of infectious melodies and energy that literally fizzles in the ears. Imagine the love child of the Small Faces and the Kinks smacking their head against a wall whilst listening to Medway Garage Rock and the Who!
Have a listen and see what you think.
You can find out more The Kite Collectors at Paisley Records.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2018, Dorchester
artefacts on display
books on display
There was a very successful Holocaust Memorial Day event on Friday 26 January 2018 at the Corn Exchange hosted by the South West Dorset Multicultural Network. The event was supported by schools and community members on the theme of The Power of Words. Other opportunities to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in Dorchester include a poetry workshop on Wednesday 31 January 2018 at Dorchester Library. You are invited by library staff to read, write and share poetry from 10:30 to noon. You can also see artefacts in a special display at Dorset County Museum which record events from the life of Harry Grenville who joined Kinderstransport to find refuge in the West Country. Read more about Harry here, in an interview I conducted for this blog.
Fine dining in Dorchester at Sienna
When our daughter returned home from university, she worked as restaurant manager at Sienna. Although she is now employed elsewhere, we continue to treat ourselves to a meal there on special occasions. However, with the new choice of reasonably priced tasting menus we may very well go more often. The restaurant has been spruced up with new, modern decor and Chef Marcus Wilcox creates wonderfully diverse dishes which use West Country produce.
Click on the photo to find out what we ate last night!
Amuse-bouche with amazing crispy chicken skin
Beef Cheek: Malt – Parsley – Apple
Salmon: Cucumber – Hazelnut – Sultana
Duck: Carrot – Orange – Fennel
White Chocolate: Cream Cheese – Lemon – Pumpkin
Vale of Camelot Blue – Roasted Pear
Sienna is well worth visiting. Tasting menus are available evenings, Tuesday to Saturday and lunchtimes, Wednesday to Saturday.
Max Gate, Thomas Hardy’s home
Thomas Hardy designed and lived in Max Gate, situated on the outskirts of Dorchester, from 1885 until his death in 1928. When we first moved to the county town, the house was occupied by tenants and you could only access two of the ground floor rooms. Over time, the National Trust have opened more of the rooms including the attic rooms where Emma, Hardy’s first wife withdrew to.
Emma’s boudoir in the attic at Max Gate
Emma started to use the rooms as a daytime retreat, but by 1899 she decided to move her bedroom up there, too. She described her space as a ‘sweet refuge and solace’. It’s strange to think of Hardy working at this desk directly beneath Emma’s rooms.
Thomas Hardy’s first floor study
In his study at the house, Hardy wrote Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge and much of his poetry.
Very little of the furniture in the house belonged to Hardy because his second wife, Florence, sold everything upon his death. Therefore, the contents of each room is there to recreate the atmosphere that might have existed. As such, this is one of the few National Trust properties I’ve been to where visitors are encouraged to take a seat and enjoy the warmth of the fire in the lounge.
Use of the toilet, however, is not allowed (although there are loos for public use).
Max Gate is well worth visiting for anyone staying in or passing through Dorchester.
Never Give Up
Cover Image for ‘Paisley Shirt’ photo credit: menswear market
I’ve read lots of post about How I Got Published and although I know how deeply maddening it can be to hear about another’s success, I feel obliged after all the pitfalls to share my experience with you.
I have four novels sitting in a drawer, two of which are completely unpublishable while the others may see the light of day when I get around to re-writing. I have been on my writing journey for eight years: writing regularly, attending writing festivals, having one-to-ones, keeping the feelers out, updating my blog and becoming a whizz on social media. I must have entered hundreds of competitions, and enjoyed a couple of notable wins (my name was listed in Elle magazine once). I briefly enjoyed representation but that was until my agent took maternity leave and decided not to return to work.
One of the upsides of enduring so much failure is that I resorted to seeking professional help by joining a writing course that led to a qualification. After four years of part time study I am now on the verge of changing my title to Doctor and I am looking forward to graduating in the summer! This has also enabled me to seek employment with a university where I will work with students of creative writing.
The novel written as part of my studies is still seeking a home, but in the meantime, I have signed a contract with a small independent publisher to have a collection of my flash fiction published. Paisley Shirt contains 27 stories with characters and situations to offer a range of perspectives on what it is like to live in our world.
It is wonderful to have a publisher who believes in my work and a thrill to think I will have a published book at last. It won’t bring me riches, but it is acknowledgement of the progress I’ve made. The mantra remains: never give up.
Triumphs and Challenges of 2017
Click on the pictures to find out what I’ve been up to!
co-written play performed in Brighton
with my very tall family in Vienna
Salisbury half completed
writing published
group meeting with Amal Al-Agroobi
Edinburgh book fest
digital stories course at Bournemouth
residency at Brisons Veor
PhD submission and viva pass
acquiring (and losing) literary representation for The String Games
flash fiction collection accepted for publication
the writer is a lonely hunter 