Tag: Reflecting

Staying Positive: in writing and in real life #positivenews #happyendings #writing #ovacome #ovariancancer #romanticfiction @yesshecan @debbiemjohnson @Ovacome @PositiveNewsUK

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Image shows positivity concept on cork bulletin board – colourful sticky notes with a smiley

Word of the month: Positivity 

As I say in the description of my blog, it’s all about Writing, Reading and Reflecting, and this month it was easy for me to see a theme of positivity running through all three.

WRITING

In my writing I’m on the home straight with my latest novel and the happy (and therefore positive) ending for me and my two main characters is in sight. And no, that’s not a spoiler. I write romantic fiction and the deal that I, and just about all other romance writers, have with our readers is that our books will end with a happy ever after. What matters is the story of how the characters get to their happy ending, overcoming all sorts of obstacles and challenges along the way.  

READING

In my reading too there’s been lots of positivity. I’ve read some heart-warming romances including these two:

Virtual Strangers by Sam Canning

From the back cover:

The Flatshare meets a modern You’ve Got Mail

Do you believe in love at first type?

When Ada set up her own PR firm from a coffee shop, she didn’t expect to meet journalist Fraser. Also working there daily, he soon becomes a friend. Reporting on interesting things to do around Edinburgh, Fraser ropes Ada into accompanying him on his assignments.

As they work side-by-side Ada can’t help but notice how attractive Fraser is, and how well they get along. But, Ada has been chatting to a guy she met on an Agatha Christie fan fiction site, and she can’t stop wondering about him. His interests are the same as hers, and the anonymity helps them both be more honest and open. As Ada’s messages with the mystery man become deeper, she thinks she’s falling for him.

Ada is torn between Fraser and Myster-E – but can you have real feelings for someone when you’re virtual strangers?

Falling for You by Debbie Johnson

From the back cover:

Sometimes it takes life falling apart …to piece yourself back together!

Single mum Jenny’s life is turned upside-down (quite literally) when her beloved cottage on the Norfolk coast falls off a cliff. And so, with the storm raging on, Jenny and her eighteen-year-old son Charlie are forced to take refuge in her neighbour, Luke’s, cosy campervan.

It’s a tight squeeze for the three of them – and Luke’s adorable dachshund, Betty – but somehow they make it work. And when far-too-handsome Luke suggests a spontaneous road trip around England, it ignites a desire for adventure in Jenny she thought long extinguished!

And soon she begins to wonder whether losing everything might just have been the best thing that ever happened to her… I can highly recommend both of the above books.

But I’ve also read and enjoyed some thought-provoking and very positive non-fiction too.   First of all there’s The Well-Lived Life by 102 year-old Dr Gladys McGarey

From the back cover: There’s really no one quite like Dr Gladys McGarey.

Age 8 years old, she met Gandhi in India who instilled in her life lessons about love.

She began her medical practice at a time when women couldn’t own their ownbank accounts, and accumulated thousands of patients.

At 85 she travelled to Afghanistan to teach rural woman safer birthing practices, resulting in a 47% decrease in infant mortality rates in the area.

Dr. Gladys McGarey revolutionised holistic medicine. Now, aged 102 and still practising as a doctor, she shares her powerful secrets so you can live your own life with joy, vitality and purpose at any age – just as she has.

In a voice that is both practical and inspiring, Dr Gladys shares life-changing stories of miraculous healing from her thousands of patients of all ages, as well as her own experiences as a mother of six, and her survival of both heartbreak and illness, as heard on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

Dr. Gladys will change the way you think not only about health and healing but what leads to a life filled with joy and satisfaction.

And then there’s the monthly magazine Positive News to which I have a quarterly subscription.

About Positive NewsPositive News is the online and print magazine for rigorous journalism about what’s going right.We report socially relevant and uplifting stories of progress – ranging from the global boom in renewable energy to cities that are solving homelessness – joining the dots between how people, communities and organisations are changing the world for the better.We publish daily online and Positive News magazine is published quarterly in print.

REFLECTING

My personal reflections this month are also positive. August 2023 will see the 25th anniversary of my diagnosis with ovarian cancer. And yes, I get the irony that a positive diagnosis with cancer is anything but positive in terms of health. My symptoms were a bloated belly, mid menstrual cycle pain, and I looked pregnant. I knew I wasn’t pregnant. But I did know I’d gone up two dress sizes in as many weeks. However, my regular GP and family planning clinic told me there was nothing wrong. A nurse at the family planning clinic told me I was obese and my GP gave me a weight loss leaflet. Fortunately I didn’t give up when dieting made no difference and I went back to the doctor. This time I was lucky. I saw a locum GP who examined me and immediately got me a hospital appointment. And so my cancer journey began. I had an amazing consultant and first class treatment. I had amazing support from family and friends and I also got support from two wonderful UK cancer charities Ovacome (which is specifically for ovarian cancer help) https://www.ovacome.org.uk/ and Macmillan Cancer Support https://www.macmillan.org.uk/ Either or both are well worth checking out if you or a loved one is faced with a cancer diagnosis.  And the fact I’m still here speaks for itself. My treatment was successful and the outcome was positive in the non-cancer meaning of the word. So yes, let’s hear it for positivity.

What about you? Do you have any positive news to share? Feel free to do so in the comments below.

MY NEWSLETTER

And don’t forget, if you want a more intimate round up of my current writing such as updates on the work-in-progress, sneak peeks at same, early notification of publication dates, giveaways and lots more, do sign up for my author newsletter. And when you do you’ll receive A FREE BOOK of some of my romantic short stories as a thank you. Just click HERE and fill in your email address. 

MY LATEST BOOK

My latest novel is contemporary romance Baby Steps.

It’s available as an ebook and as a paperback and you can buy it HERE If you’ve read it already please do consider leaving a review at the buy link above. Reviews no matter how brief are so helpful and I appreciate every one. To find out more about all of my books just go to the BOOKS page HERE on the website.

Inspirational Quotes #mondayblogs #wisewords

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Words of Wisdom

As writer I know what it is to get stuck – even more so in my real life.

As with my work-in-progress life sometimes flow along nicely, I know where events are heading and I just get on with it. But at other times I get discouraged, don’t know which decision is the right one or how to deal with a difficult situation.

And, at times like these, I have a stock of trusty quotes that although they don’t make the problem go away they do offer me good advice, or a wake-up call or simply some consolation.

Yes, some of them could be classed as clichés – but then clichés become so because they’re often apt and true.

So when I found myself a bit stuck as to what to write for this week’s blog post and was even considering skipping it for this week, I got a grip and had the bright idea of sharing my 10 favourite inspirational quotes. (Where possible I’ve credited the author of the quote, but where I haven’t please do let me know if you know who originally said it and I’ll amend the post).

Most are from literature and some are from greetings cards, and I even found one on a farmer’s field gate but, as a writer, took it metaphorically.

So here goes – My Top Ten Inspirational Quotes:

  • We worry about tomorrow like it’s promised. (Pinterest)
  • You only regret the things you don’t do. (Said to me by a friend when I was contemplating a life-changing decision)
  • I took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference. (Robert Frost in The Road Not Taken poem)
  • Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. (Greetings card)
  • Follow your dreams wherever they may lead. (Greetings card)
  • Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in Begin it now. (Goethe)
  • Beyond right and wrong there is a field. I will meet you there. (Rumi)
  • Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded. (Buddha)
  • This too will pass. (Said to me by a friend during one of life’s challenging times)
  • Beware of the Bull (On a field gate, meant literally of course. But which I choose to take as good life advice to beware of all the bulls**t/ nonsense out there).

And I leave you with one extra special quote. It was said to me by an angry and upset parent when I was a deputy head teacher in a primary school. We were having a difficult conversation about an incident involving her child. She was shouting and swearing and I was trying to be Mrs Calm and Professional. Then when she’d had quite enough of me trying to be reasonable she advanced towards me, pointing at me and she said, ‘Take a f*****g shake to yourself, lady!’

I recall these words of wisdom whenever I lose sight of what’s reasonable and possible. And my family tell me they will be on my headstone.

Do you have any go-to quotes that help you out when needed? Please do share them below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Resolutions but Good Intentions: Writing, Reading and Reflecting in 2018

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In spite of the time of year this is not a post about resolutions. I think the other 3Rs that this blog is based on ­- Writing, Reading and Reflecting are quite sufficient.

However, I do want to share with you some of my ongoing plans and intentions for the blog and my writing in general during 2018.

Writing:

The manuscript of my new novel Settlement is almost ready to go off to the editor and is planned for release in the first half of the year.

Settlement is the sequel to Displacement and, as I’ve never written a sequel before, I’ve enjoyed the challenge. It’s been quite a balancing act judging just how much of the back story to include from the original book. I don’t want the new book to seem repetitive to those who’ve read the first one, but neither do I want it to be necessary to have read the first one in order to enjoy the second.

And, as far as writing about my writing here on the blog goes, I plan to continue doing occasional posts on the process of writing, on my works-in-progress, and on my wider writing life.

 

Reading:

I certainly intend to keep reading throughout 2018. I believe it’s vital for writers to be readers too, but even if I gave up writing tomorrow – can’t imagine that happening – I’ll still be reading on my deathbed.

I will also continue to post reviews of books I’ve particularly enjoyed as, apart from wanting to share the love of good books, I also like to do my bit to help my writing colleagues get their work in front of readers. And I find that putting together a review – figuring out what worked in a book and why – helps me improve my own writing skills.

 

Reflecting:

And finally, I also intend to continue to do the occasional reflective post on topics I find myself thinking about and want to explore with readers of the blog. These topics may or may not be directly related to books – but will of course involve writing.

 

Question Time:

I also plan in 2018 to do a bit of a content/function audit of this blog and of my two author websites. As part of that I’d like to seek your much valued and appreciated opinions on various writing/blog related things.

And, as there’s no time like the present I’ll get started on that right away –

Question: I’d be interested to know your opinion on author newsletters. Do you sign up to them and if you do, do you read them? Are you prompted to buy an author’s latest book when you read about it in their newsletter or to respond to offers – such as free short story?

And finally I’d like to wish all readers a happy and healthy 2018.