A cake you can turn the pages on

This is a cake my daughter, Leanne, made me to celebrate my new book coming out. She's cleverly (I wouldn't have the patience) iced words from my book on to the cake. If you want to read more, you can't turn the pages on the cake but you can buy the real thing. And here it is -

In memory of a friend

 An email friend, Anita Smith, died earlier this year. She wrote for women's magazines using the name Anita Haynes.

I never met Anita but always read her stories. Now her husband has put together a collection of them. All money will go to charity. So, if you're thinking of buying a collection of short stories, try this one. It's a good read for anyone and an especially good lesson in how to write short stories for women's magazines for all you wannabes out there.

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Selection-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B00DPWRU80/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374597020&sr=1-1&keywords=anita+Haynes

 

Writer receives royal approval

All curtsey to Julia Douglas who has received a certificate from HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Honorary President of the Federation Mondiale du Cirque, for participating in World Circus Day, on April 20 when Julia gave away free downloads of her romance novel The Showman’s Girl. (I would have put pictures of the book and certificate but blogger won't let me.)

 The Showman’s Girl follows the adventures of Emily, who runs away with the circus in the 1930s.

If you missed the free download, you can still buy it from iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/the-showmans-girl/id639618472?mt=11) for just 49p!

Or borrow the Linford edition paperback from your local library for free.

The fourth World Circus Day was celebrated with special events by participants in a whopping 47 countries from Afghanistan to Vietnam and Peru to Japan. World Circus Day 5 will be celebrated on April 19, 2014. But if you can’t wait until then to indulge in some circus slapstick, International Clown Week begins this August 1st!

Should writers be paid?

Click on the link to read a brilliantly funny, and sadly true, article about writers being paid. The author is Guy Walters.

http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/walters_07_13.php

 

Flying Scotsman e-article Free Free Free

From the 12th - 14th July Glynis Scrivens's e-book will be free to download.

You can read all about it two posts down from this one.

 

Readers who leave a review on Amazon can enter a competition to win a mint set of four stamps issued to commemorate this tour. A winner will be drawn on 16 October, the day Flying Scotsman arrived in Sydney.

Do tell all those steam fans. Everyone knows at least one. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flying-Scotsman-Down-Under-ebook/dp/B00DPRCYG8

Missionaries and Unicorns

First my Giggle Blog-

I was having lunch with friends and somehow we'd got on to the subject of religion, specifically how to politely get rid of the 'missionaries' who knock on doors hoping to convert people.

'I tell them I couldn't possibly belong to any religion which didn't embrace vegetarianism,' I said. 'But one intrepid missionary told me that before the flood we were all veggies. Afterwards there were no crops so God told Noah they could eat meat.' I explained how this statement had bothered me because if only two of each animal went on the ark then which species did they eat?

'Oh, no!' wailed Liz. 'That's why there are no unicorns. Noah and his lot ate them!'

 

And now a congratulations-

 

I made this cake for the LSO who is now officially a Chief Commissaire for British Cycling. If you watch any cycling you'll see that the commissaires are referees who keep everyone in order and make sure no rules are broken.

 

Steam Railways. Flying Scotsman.

Many years ago I had a weekend job, working in the restaurant, at the Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley. People used to come from all over the world to watch the steam trains. Some even recorded them going chuff-chuff-chuff. If you know any of these fanatics do let them know about my sister's e-book and the competition she's running to win the featured set of stamps.

 

I asked Glynis Scrivens about her e-book. Here's what she says-

"2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the Tour Down Under by Flying Scotsman. It was invited over to participate in steam train festivals organised as part of Australia's bicentennial celebrations. To mark the occasion of the anniversary, I've published an article about the tour of Australia, based on interviews with the driver, David Rollins. David describes problems encountered on Australian tracks, collisions with cars, and most importantly, the day when Flying Scotsman entered the Guinness Book of Records for nonstop steam.

  

Readers who leave a review on Amazon can enter a competition to win a mint set of four stamps issued to commemorate this tour. A winner will be drawn on 16 October, the day Flying Scotsman arrived in Sydney."

 

Do visit Amazon to buy the book, or loan it. And do tell all those steam fans. Everyone knows at least one. (Hi, Barry!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flying-Scotsman-Down-Under-ebook/dp/B00DPRCYG8