Now, here’s a lovely badge, I love butterflies. I am ancient enough to remember when before the crop sprays and other environmental destruction hadn’t exterminated most of them, and I remember a pile of stones my father had left to create a rock garden being covered in basking butterflies on a hot summer’s day.
Rant, rant…
Leaving that aside, to comply with the rules of the nomination, I would like to thank Thomas Cotterill
for the award. We disagree about many things, politics, what the author was attempting to demonstrate regarding characters in books (I’ll just go for a bit of teasing by saying something that will be obscure for most people, but not for him: ‘I still maintain Charley Kinraid is a superficial opportunist, Thomas etc, etc, rant, rant…’) but he has been a wonderful source of support and encouragement for me. My first novel was complex, and that has meant for divided opinon amongst readers,some of whom found it a bit too challanging; Thomas particularly delighted in it, and that really made me feel good.
His blog is always excellently written and stimulating and can be found on
https://thomascotterill.wordpress.com
Five things that make me happy.
I can think of many. I won’t tease,and say outrageous things like ‘Other people’s misfortunes’ and ‘reports of accidents in newspapers’, instead, I’ll be truthful.
1.
Drinking Earl Grey tea, wriggling my toes by a fire and reading a favourite book (shades of my own Sophie de Courcy).
2.
Looking at sheep. ‘What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare…’
3.
Coming to the end of an exercise session.
4.
People laughing at my jokes, as distinct from:
a. Falling asleep
b. Interrupting to tell their own
c. Taking me seriously, and raising strong objections
or
d. Looking frankly puzzled…
5.
Finishing writing a book…
Five blogs from people who fit the bill for me (can’t nominate Thomas, as he has already nominated me):
First, who but my writing partner Jo Danilo? So glad I met up with her on Goodreads, the best writing partner in the world, a brilliant writer, though short of time at the moment…Love you!
<a href="http://jodanilo.com/
Lauryn April on
<a href="http://laurynapril.blogspot.com/
An excellent writer – ( I love Ivy and Brant in 'Into the Deep') and a wonderful friend. Her latest post in particular – about the recent obsession with accusing people of 'copying' other writers – when there are no original plots – is well worth a look.
Another outstanding writer friend of mine is Rebecca Lochlann – does she know a lot of stuff about Ancient Greece, or what – her 'Child of the Erinyes' series is enthralling – who has become a great friend. She always puts up with my rants about Objectification and Rape and Patriarchy, and suchlike jolly topics…
Home/About
Then, there is another wonderful friend Bluebirdsunshine, whom I once knew as Caramello, but that is another story. She always helps me with IT and she takes marvellous photos of her lovely children.
http://bluebirdsunshine.co.uk
Finally, I know who deserves this and more, but who probably has it already – Caitlin Dean for her work on raising awareness of Hyperemesis. I’m having problems finding somewhere to tell her I’ve nominated her – but I’m nominating it to her anyway, and breaking the rules…
http://spewingmummy.blogspot.co.uk
But perhaps, someone deserves this award more than anyone, Tersia Burger, who doesn’t forget others in her grief.
http://tersiaburger.com/