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Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – A Writers Road Trip

June 8, 2023
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As many of you know I regularly go on road trips with my writer friend, Linda. We are going to Wainwright and Elk Water this trip round. Our essentials for any road trip, whether long or short are as follows:

In-car essentials are:

My road trip book to write down the road numbers, towns and counties we travel through. Linda has her raid atlas to mark out the roads we travel on. Bird and flora identification books, blankets, emergency kit, shovel, trolley, chargers, camera, sunglasses. Also a bag for trash and water bottles. And of course lots of snacks! They are a must for travel energy after all.

Our accommodation requirements are:

A desk (or two) and two comfortable chairs, a nice view, and a kettle! (I need my tea). Comfortable beds, ample lighting, space to spread out our things. Kitchenette, or microwave and fridge, and a good shower.

Our trip essentials are:

Lap tables, laptops, notebooks, pens, current writing projects, reading material, chargers, extension cords and power-bar (there are never enough power points), cell phones, camera, back-up drives.

Comfortable clothes (layering is essential), good socks, jackets, walking shoes/boots, slippers. Insect repellent and sunscreen. Eye glasses and ear plugs, a bottle of wine and easy meal suppers, and tea bags (Okay, I’m English teabags are a must!)

As we take our furry companions too, their essentials include, leashes, car harnesses, towels, beds, bowls, food and treats.

Over the years our routine has evolved into a well oiled machine. We are comfortable in silence and respect each others creativity and time to just create and enjoy the wonders we encounter. Photographs are a must and we share them extensively.

Having time to let our writing Muse gather and cultivate new ideas, allows us to start, progress, or even finish writing projects.

My projects for this trip include trying to complete the editing of my western romance, Willow Tree Tears, decide on the cover image for the Rython series prequel, Malgraf’s Dawning (if the illustrator has images for me!), finish reading my current book and start a new one (I have to keep my Goodreads Challenge going), and most of all enjoy the companionship, exploring, doggie walks, and rest with a good friend.

What are your road trip essentials?

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Romance Novel Giveaway

June 6, 2023
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I am excited to be included in this giveaway. My romance/reincarnation novel, The Twesome Loop is on the list.
To enter go to https://lnkd.in/gb5yEnvv and do all of the
things! There will be 5 winners!
All books included are steamy Contemporary romances!
The last day to enter is June 30th, 2023.
Must be 18+ to enter (@romancemewithbooks will check with all winners prior to sending)
Please be advised that if you entered, you will be added to all participating authors and RMWB newsletters.

Summary – Twesome Loop

A picturesque Italian villa holds a hidden past of a pact that cannot be broken, a secret untold. Passion, pleasure, and pain play their part as seemingly chance meetings reveal secrets and hidden agendas. One dark secret is coupled with a burning desire to extract revenge. It will see four guests re-living their past lives. Who will win and who will lose? Is it possible to change our destiny?

The Twesome Loop is an erotic romance novel with a re-incarnation twist. The narrative starts its journey in the late 1990’s English countryside, where several characters make seemingly unrelated choices to travel to Italy. Melissa is fleeing a loveless marriage, Gerald wants to find his soul mate, Brett is motivated by greed and Nancy’s insatiable lust drives her. They are drawn not only by the beauty and life of Italy, but by an unexplained inner longing. Each is unaware that a pact made generations before, links their souls to each other and the beautiful villa they will stay in.

A parallel story takes the reader to 1874, where a young woman’s happiness is sacrificed for her father’s ambition. Unable to resist she suffers at her older husbands’ hands until his brother offers a way to escape.

The villa’s history has become local folklore and the mystery is perpetuated among the village elders. The sudden disappearance of Lord William and the subsequent low-key marriage of his widow, Gabriella and his younger brother, Arthur, fueled speculations as to the Lord’s fate. However, the young couple embraced the village and its inhabitants becoming well liked benefactors in complete contrast to William’s cruel domination. Arthur and Gabriella’s love is all consuming but unable to contemplate life without each other, Arthur seeks a way for them to love beyond the grave.

Once the modern-day characters converge on the villa, passions and memories rise and the pact’s legacy becomes known. Melissa falls completely for Gerald, a stranger but very familiar at the same time, Gerald is convinced Melissa is the one he has searched for and will not let her husband, Brett take her away, ever again. Nancy finds in Brett the one person, who can sate her lustful appetites and although Brett’s greed was the motivation to chase Melissa, he finds in Nancy the answer to his innermost desires.

The Twesome Loop incorporates several aspects to the romance genre of time slip, travel and past lives.

Similar works include Ferney by James Long, Again by Sharon Cullars and Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine. Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn, Maybe This Life by J.P. Grider, Across Eternity by Aris Whittier and Her Past’s Present by Micheal Poeltl.

Wordsmith’s Collective Thursday – Update on My New Creative Space

June 1, 2023
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It has been some time since I mentioned my newer creative space, so I thought I would share the latest stage. With so many projects on the go – freelance and personal – I have not had much time to organize my new study. However, I do have my writing desk and creative table in place now.

There is still more organizing of the storage space to do and a few shelves to put up.

You may notice I have a few interesting items on the writing desk upper shelf. These are an eclectic mix of mementos. The black and grey plushy is called Snork and was bought for me by my Mother, she’d asked what she could get for me and Snork was it. Yep, not jewellery, but a plushy. There is also a Tigger – to cut a long story short, an old school pal and I love Tigger and were nicknamed Big Tig and Little Tig. And a little sprout plushy (leaf not showing).

There is a Groot – you know I love him, various crystals and rocks for protection, inspiration and most are purple, my favourite colour. There is a little bunny floating on a leaf, a wren (favourite bird), a china bunny, which was a surprise find in an antique store. It is actually a replica of one my Mother had. Rocks from road trips, print of the Writers Museum in Edinburgh,

On the other desk is the on-going model I will get to at some point! It is a little bookstore.

What items do you have in your creative space and why?

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Sunday Spotlight with Kate DeGross

May 30, 2023
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I was delighted to be invited to be highlighted on Kate’s Instagram’s Sunday Spotlight. If you missed it here is the link. https://www.instagram.com/farawayinalovestory/ Flick through the pages and read the interview.

The prequel to this series will be published later this year. Malgraf’s Dawning follows the life (and creation) of the evil witch in the series.

Creative Edge – Sarah Budd – Press Release

May 25, 2023
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Enter The Darkness

Natural creepy horror at its finest by critically acclaimed horror author, Sarah Budd

Released and published by Brigids Gate Press

The book is available worldwide in paperback and e-format

During the Spring Solstice, four people enter the caves underneath London.

Garth: a shy young man, who seeks to save the girl of his dreams.
Cassie: a beautiful young woman, who seeks to use the dark magic of the caves for her own purposes.
Bill: an older man with a terrible secret, who seeks to find Garth and Cassie before it’s too late.
Sienna: a con artist with a dark past, who seeks to escape her fate as a chosen sacrifice.

Four people enter. Each of them must battle their personal demons before facing the White Lady, who rises each year during the Spring Solstice with a hunger for human flesh.

Only one of them will survive.

Enter the Darkness: Budd, Sarah, Allison-Rolling, Carrie, Mist, Villimey, Ellis, Stephanie: 9781957537108: Amazon.com: Books

Enter the Darkness: Budd, Sarah, Allison-Rolling, Carrie, Mist, Villimey, Ellis, Stephanie: 9781957537108: Books – Amazon.ca

Praise for Enter The Darkness:

“Very nicely done!
I was looking forward to reading this one, and it didn’t disappoint.
The author sets the pace out early, and things don’t slow down much after that!
Atmospheric, claustrophobic and tense, with an underlying sense of threat throughout.
Fans of folk/supernatural horror will have a real treat with this one.
Recommended to anyone afraid of the dark!” _ Broadcast-Topic

“Enter The Darkness was Creepy Scary and Disturbingly Good! Most horror fans will enjoy this truly entertaining book..” _ Luvtoread

Bio:

Sarah Budd grew up in Cornwall surrounded by myths and legends. She has always been fascinated by anything out of the ordinary. Her work has appeared in over twenty magazines including NoSleep Podcast, Diabolica Britannica, Tales to Terrify, Aphotic Realm, Sanitarium Magazine, Dark Fire Fiction, Mystic Blue Review, Siren’s Call Publications, Deadman’s Tome, Innersins, Aphelion, Bewildering Stories and Blood Moon Rising Magazine.

Twitter: @SjbuddJ

Website: http://www.sjbudd.co.uk/