I had the privilege of featuring on Jess’s blog, https://jessbookishlife.wordpress.com where I talked about writing and illustrating Eternal Seas, plus looked ahead at the sequel. Do check it out!
Author Archives: L Rees
September 2018 {Book Releases}
So excited to see Eternal Seas featured on this list. Not long until publication day now!
Hey and welcome to my new feature. I decided to start doing a monthly new releases post but rather than include the generic big hitters that can be found all over the place I turned to the world of Twitter and one of my favourite groups The Fiction Cafe for authors. We are lucky as readers that we have such a vast pool of talented author’s to chose from when deciding our all important read list. Let’s face it there are more books on our TBR piles than we will ever get to read in this life time.
I wanted to share with you some of the lesser known authors, we often overlook the authors who we have not heard of or have self-published and don’t have a massive budget to spend on promotion. That is where this feature comes into play, I will be helping them on their journey…
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Sometimes all you need is a few words
Today I’m thrilled to have author Sharon Grigg on my blog.
As part of my 2018 book challenge, I’m reading more poetry – not something I typically read. Sharon’s coffee break companion is a compilation of short stories and poems. I thought this one, Sky, was beautiful, plus it has a link to a prophecy in Eternal Seas, but you’ll need to read my book to find out why!
SKY
When it’s dark and quiet
While my World sleeps
I sit and stare
Feel the magic in the air
The sky at night
A true delight
Moodily cloud covered
Or sparkling clear
I love to see the stars that shine
Constellations I can barely name
And the moon
Waxing, waning, crescent or full
The sky at night
A true delight
Peaceful and free
Alone with just me
The colours behold me
Blues of every shade
Sapphire and twilight
Prussian and midnight
Deep purple to maroon
All gone too soon
As dawn creeps in
Bringing new light
The darkness fades
Stars hide away
Birds begin to sing
New light on everything
To celebrate the six month anniversary of the release of Coffee Break Companion you can pick up a copy for just 99p for the week of 28th August to 3rd September 2018.
Blurb: Grab that cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer), maybe add a splash of something stronger, settle down and enjoy your break with this gripping collection of flash fiction and poetry that will send shivers down your spine. With an added bonus of a longer story at the end that will fill your lunch break. What are you waiting for? Dive in! Everything from a discovery in an Ice Cavern, to a tornado. Mermaids, and Dragons. Mystery and Horror. This collection of flash fiction and poetry has something to capture anyone’s imagination, with a final chilling thriller that will leave you gasping for air.
Author Bio: This is the first published book by S.L. Grigg having previously written a popular blog on mental health, and having articles published by Mind, the mental health charity, and NHS England. Working for NHS England from a home in Bromsgrove, England, S.L Grigg lives with a partner and two adult children. S.L Grigg has studied everything from Science and Law, to Journalism and Pilates but writing has always been the greatest passion in S.L.Grigg’s life.
Sharon Grigg, who writes under the pen name S.L Grigg, made it her new year’s resolution to publish her book ‘Coffee Break Companion’ during 2018. After bouncing back from mental health problems (BPD), following the death of her husband from a brain tumour in 2009, Sharon was struck down with kidney and other health problems, believed to be linked to having the Essure sterilisation device she had implanted back in 2008. In September 2017 she underwent major surgery to have a non-functioning hydronephrotic kidney removed at the same time as a full hysterectomy to remove the essure device. Just two months after setting her goal Sharon launched the collection of dark, short stories and poetry on Amazon. Many of the stories were written during Sharon’s battle with mental health. 41-year-old mother of two, Sharon says “For me publishing was never about, money or fame. I just wanted to be able to hold a copy of my book and say, ‘I wrote this’ and now I can.”
Links: http://www.facebook.com/SLGRIGG76 http://www.slgrigg76.wordpress.com
Wherever you are in the #World this link will take you to your local #Amazon site so you can pick up a copy of my #firstbook #selfpub #newauthor #indieauthors #free on #Kindleunlimited – https://t.co/3AYfZ79zLl
DS: “Mum, I can drive at 15.”
Me: “No you bloody well can’t.”
DS: “I can. I’ll prove it to you.”
Quick Google later, and he shows me that you can get a license at 15 years and 9 months. Who knew that? Why so early? His excitement is already unbearable.
I learnt to drive in my parents’ diesel estate car. I took my driving test at rush hour in London. We sat in traffic most of the time, pulling into a side road to do the three point turn and emergency stop before rejoining the traffic jam. The most exciting part was the cyclist lurching across a pedestrian crossing. At the end the examiner asked if I knew where third gear was. I pointed it out to him. I passed.
I still remember the registration number of my first car, A764 CPH. A very sporty silver Metro City.
Anyway, whilst DS dreams of a sports car, I enjoyed this blog from Fraser’s Fun House
I realised recently that I rarely talk about the girls despite them accounting for two thirds of the Fraser clan – this is partly because they would most probably die of shame – so today I’m going to dedicate a whole post to them! A recurrent topic in our house lately is the length of […]
Why glamping is the best solution for muddy hooves
I used to camp loads when I was younger. I had a little tent that I backpacked round the world with, free camping by glaciers and lakes. Then when the kids were younger we got a family sized tent with a carpet and I shouted “shoes off” every 15 minutes in an attempt to keep the mud out, only to be defeated by a New Forest pony with very muddy hooves that popped in to say hi.
But, as I’ve got older, I find it harder work, and the tent has been in the attic for a couple of years now.
So when I left it too late to book a hotel or B&B for a big family gathering during Victoria week in Ballater, I googled campsites a little nervously. Then I stumbled across a nearby glamping site that actually had spaces, Howe of Torbeg. Camping with a bit more luxury and less mud. I’ve never glamped. I’m not a camping purist, I just never got round to it.
It’s actually only been open two months, and, as it turns out I was one of the very first people to book. Although the owners have lived here for five years, levelling the steep slope enough to build the huts on was a massive construction project. And they’ve done it beautifully. Four cute as a button domed wooden huts.
Ours even had a proper, very comfortable, bed. And I used to think my tent carpet was luxury.
DS was on the floor on a midget sized mattress. His feet stuck over the end, but he slept like a log anyway.
Each hut has its own fire-pit and picnic bench with uninterrupted views over the valley. They sell baskets of logs and charcoal, plus you can hire crockery and cutlery sets for a few pounds which definitely beats paper plates.
Having said “we’ll never use all these” as we collect the huge basket of logs, we do. It’s too lovely an evening to retire early. DS collects fallen branches and twigs from the woods.
If you worry about campsite facilities, don’t. The shower block was immaculate, better than many hotels I’ve stayed in. Again, for a few pounds we added a towel pack rather than bring our own.
Even my non-camping sister, staying in a nearby hotel with her four-poster bed, was impressed. Next year I think I could persuade her to join us. Even if just for one night. My tweenage nieces are definitely up for it. At worst I get “best aunty/ sister” points for taking them for a night.
The positives?
- Fun
- Beautiful setting
- Spotlessly clean
- Far easier than camping
The downsides?
- Literally none from my perspective.
- There was virtually no internet so I expected some teenage grumbling. I was wrong. I confess I was surprised by that, but not going to complain.
- In future, I predict a downside will be getting a space. Book early!
I’m now tempting myself with a treehouse and DS fancies staying in a double decker bus … Why are there never enough weekends in a year?
But does glamping still count as camping? Even allowing for the glamorous bit, our little hut is so close to being a holiday cottage I’m not sure. I’ve decided glamping is where you still need to walk outside to get to a bathroom and may encounter patches of mud. Does that mean our grandparents glamped all year?
Have you glamped? What did you think of it?
Lexi Rees, author 