Cold Comfort Update

February 15, 2023 

With thirteen days off work from my day job, I have cracked on with the second draft of my 150,000+ word horror opus, Cold Comfort. I have divided the book into five parts and am currently working on section 4. Whilst I have given myself until the end of June this year to complete the second draft, I am hoping to make enough progress over the next couple of weeks to hopefully get this edit complete a lot sooner than that. 

Two days into my much-needed break from the job that keeps a roof over my head I have already completed the work I had given myself two weeks to complete so I am pretty happy with my progress thus far. Unfortunately, I have to have my first blood test tomorrow to check how my body is coping with my methotrexate medication. This will take up much of tomorrow morning so I won't be able to get so much writing done on day three of my holiday. Oh well.

Talking of my health, I have suffered a few side effects from my medication  this week, most notably stomach upsets and certain tingling sensations inside my lips and tonsils. So far, I haven't had any ulcers actually break out but I definitely have that tingling associated with a impending breakout. Fingers crossed I can stave off an actual breakout as I think that would signal my consultant stopping the medication. Anyway, so far so good, but the methotrexate dose increases on Friday so it's definitely a case of wait and see...

Tales from the Graveyard by Guy N Smith

February 12, 2023 

Starting my 5th Guy N Smith novel of 2023. I've never read so many books in a year and it's only mid-Feb.

No! Don't set me off again.

Don't worry lol. There won't be a sequel to this old classic.

Swansea Bay

Taking my mind off things

February 02, 2023

Had to take a day off work today as I was no good to anyone. Hoping to see my specialist again tomorrow and maybe starting my next treatment early...

Attempted Research

February 01, 2023

I popped into the local library this afternoon to research my next Explore Gower book.  Swansea Library has to be one of the most beautifully situated libraries in the UK. Despite the library having shelf upon shelf of local history books, I found zero information for the topic I plan to cover. It seems like the subject of my third Gower book is even more niche than my first two lol.

The UVL Room

My hospital treatment is now well underway. Three times a week for up to the next three months...

Cracking On...

Sunday, January 29, 2023

The Master by Guy N Smith

January 28, 2023

Time to start my fourth Guy N Smith book of 2023. It's time for The Master.

The last Guy N Smith book I read, Thirst, was a great read, but I found the ending rushed, as if the author had grown tired of writing it and wanted to move on to his next book. That said, he did write a sequel to Thirst several years later - titled The Plague - Thirst II.

Guy N Smith Books

Having read x3 Guy N Smith books during January, I thought I would ease up on reading in February. It's a short month, and editing Cold Comfort is requiring more work than I originally envisioned. My target for February 2023 is now to read just x1 Guy N Smith book and to edit x3 more chapters of Cold Comfort.

Swansea Pill-Box

I finally found the opportunity to visit one of the World War 2 pill-boxes that will feature in my third volume of Explore Gower books - the first two being The Verry Volk and Gower Ghosts. 

This particular building, located midway along Swansea Bay, is heavily besanded and only the higher portions of the construction could be identified on my visit.:

The shot below is probably my favourite pic. I like the sweep of the dark cloud and can feel a tension between this defensive fortification and the distant sky as it guards again Nazi attack.

 I really need to crack on with this project as it forms part of the three books I aim to publish in 2023, the other two being Cold Comfort and One Night Buried.

A busy week ahead...

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Got a lot of reading and writing to do over the next week...

A cosy evening with Guy N Smith

 I'm really enjoying this read. I'm about halfway through the book now, and I think it's up with with the best of Guy's stories I have read so far...

Hope...

 January 21, 2023

After being told by my GP last week that there was no more he could do for me and that I required specialist medication, I finally got to see my consultant at the hospital yesterday. I am now on a heavy dose of oral steroids and antibiotics for a week. I will start urgent phototherapy sessions at the hospital next week and will have that treatment every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next few months. I will be seeing the consultant again in six weeks when I will start taking the immunosuppressant Methotrexate. After three years of absolute misery, I finally have hope of getting my life back 🤞

Thirst

January 15, 2023 

I've started reading my third Guy N Smith book of 2023. Satan's Snowdrop was an average read from the author. And I could suspend my disbelief in the premise of the story enough to give it a glowing review. Hoping for better things with Thirst, though I hope my 🐈's  reaction to seeing me start reading this title isn't going to be an accurate premonition.