Promotion update

Now that the school visit has been cancelled I am focusing on libraries, and will be phoning a few schools following up my email last year. So far I have had a promising meeting with one local library to talk to their chatterbooks group. Will be talking about Rosie and how it came about and published, and doing a workshop. Don't know if I will be able to sell books, have to ask when the lady emails me with dates later on. I also contacted my old primary school again and now wait to see what they say about my offer of a visit.

Well, haven't emailed any more letters to magazines but will be working on a small piece for an ezine next weekend.

Back to work tomorrow.

Rejections

I have had another rejection for Allie, so only one more reply to come. I am still going to try to rewrite it so it is a lot shorter and try again, once I finish this draft of Georgina.

I have also had my school visit cancelled due to timetabling issues. Everyone, inc the school and the pupils are disappointed. They might be able to do it later and will let me know if a spot arises. I hope so as I was looking forward to doing it. I have also had problems getting book signings in Waterstones. They can't guarantee a crowd and they don't stock books on POD (print-on-demand) basis, which a few of the authors books are. So back to square one with everything now. I might try phoning libraries again about talking to reading groups and see how that goes.

Watch this space...

Resolutions update

So how are my new year resolutions going? Well, some are and some aren't at the moment.

Writing: Is going v well at the moment. Have already emailed Checkmate to a publisher, emailed letters/tips to several magazines, and have drafted a small article for an ezine, and have written and typed up a story for an anthology. Just need to refine it now before sending that off. Just found out that another story for an anthology was shortlisted but didn't make it as far as publication. I shall keep trying. I have a competition in mind to enter next month. Meanwhile, tomorrow will be starting Chapter 9 of Georgina, and intend it to be the penultimate chapter. Then once I have finished that draft will go back to rewrite Allie.

Green: Not bad. Been trying to recycle more and not use too much plastic. Not managed it up until today because my mum likes to buy bananas and pears in bags but today managed to buy loose pears (put in one of Sainsbury's plastic bags which are recycleable) and loose bananas.

Health: Started good with doing more exercise then went downhill when the snow and ice came and had to get buses to the station. Now back walking both ways. But this last week my health went dowhill. The stress of not knowing if I will have a job later this year got to me and my IBS played up again causing an uncomfortable problem, which laid me off work for 3 days. Back to work tomorrow as I am much better now.

Well this is my news for this week. Be back either during the week or next weekend.

More letters

I am still busy emailing letters and tips to magazines. Yesterday I emailed 2 magazines with letters and today I emailed one more. I don't know if I will get anywhere or not but we shall see. I will be emailing a couple more over the next week and then will leave it for a while. I will probably start thinking about writing articles and tips for ezines on green issues as I have a few names of them to work on which I have collected from Writers' News. We shall see. I also have been working on a short story for an anthology. Finished writing it yesterday and will type it up next weekend. Watch this space...

Meanwhile,guess what is forecast for this Weds? Yep, possible more snow. Just as I was getting used to walking to the station each day. I hate it, it causes so much hassle travelwise. I do hope that it is not going to be much this time. Talking of exercise. Yesterday Mum and I began working on the new DVD we got by Coleen Nolan. Talk about laughing and confusion. We got a bit confused with the leg movements but it worked 'cos our legs hurt afterwards. Today we did Pilates, as that's good for the back and knees, which I need as I have knee pain now.

Well, this is all, back to work tomorrow.

More snoiw

I woke up this morning to find...more snow. Aagh. I tried to get to work but the pavement was too slippery so tried a bus and that was too slow so got off and slipped walked home and now here I am. The train routes for me are all affected. I was just getting used to walking normally rather than slow and cautious and now back to where I was last week. Getting buses to the station rather than walking. I do so want to exercise again. I bought Coleen Nolan's latest DVD at the weekend. Watched the first workout and it appeared OK, much like the aerobics I did years ago at work. Shall have a go this weekend at it and see how it goes.

Well, this is my news for today. Hope to get to work tomorrow.

Green and Health resolutions

Last week I said I'd put on here my green and health resolutions, so here they are:

Green: 1.To recycle more, if that's possible.
2. To buy more things with less packaging, esp plastic.
3. Try to buy more things that are recycleable.

Organic: 1. To use up what I have got now and not buy them anymore ie I have a couple of cleansers and once I use those up will be using my face wash morning and night. Saves money, esp as I might be made redundant later this year.
2. To buy less expensive brands if they are OK on my skin.
3. To buy more organic cotton clothes.

Health: 1. To get my health back on track, which means-
2. Help my liver more by not eating things that I shouldn't eg milk choc which I'm meant to be intolerant to.
Have already started taking milk thistle which is meant to be good for liver function.

Well, I think that is all I can think of for now. As to my other resolutions, they are well on the way to happening. Already I have emailed a publisher with Checkmate, emailed a few magazines and my daily paper with letters and tips. Next weekend I will do more.

See you next week with more happenings, and less snow I hope.

More writing resolutions

I forgot to mention the most important 3 resolutions I made for this year on my writing. They are:

1. Get a publisher for Checkmate novella.
2. So I won't be a member of the RNA's New Writers' Scheme any more.
3. If needed, revise Allie then find a publisher for her.
4. If have time after that to complete Georgina.

And that as well as the other resolutions I have mentioned. So I am going to be a very busy bee writing this year.

Writing resolutions

I have also made some resolutions about my writing and here they are:

1. To enter more anthologies and competitions. Have just received an email saying that the story I sent for a Travel anthology wasn't successful although they loved it but it didn't fit in with the rest of the book and asked to keep it on file. I said yes, so who knows. I have one story in mind for another anthology, which I will start writing prob next weekend.
2. To write for more magazines on my interests. I read in the last issue of Writing Magazine a man who has decided to write to all magazines in the new year book - that's over 600 magazines. I am not going that far but have already emailed one, have drafted tips for another 2.
3. So this way I can make more money from my writing, esp if I lose my job.
4. To raise my profile by promoting myself more. Have done one thing already. Have emailed a local magazine with my school visit event in March for next month's issue. Don't know if it will get in there as it's up to the editor. I might try to phone libraries again to see if they will do talks to children or not. We shall see.

Well, think that's all for this resolution. Next week will be my green and health resolutions.

I go back to work tomorrow and will try to find out more on what is happening with my job then.

Reading resolutions

I have made a few New Year's resolutions in regards to my interests. The first is about my reading and book buying. Here they are:

1. I shall only buy books by authors that I like and regularly read, for both adult and children's books.
2. I shall only buy hard backs if they are on offer, otherwise I will wait until that book is out in paperback.
3. I shall start reading all my old adult books which I have put away to read and then give away to either meetings or charity.

We shall see how they go over the next few months.

Tomorrow will be my writing resolutions.