Chilling with the Furry Girls

August 21. 2023

My Caldey Island Fuscia Clone

Sunday, August 20, 2023

I have been enjoying the free time my August break from writing has given me. This opportunity to chill a little outside of my day job has allowed me to enjoy our garden again and, more specifically, the plants that grow in it.

Take this fuscia, for example. I grew this bush from a tiny 4-leaf cutting I took from the mother plant on Caldey Island a good few years back. I remember pinching off those few leaves and dropping them inside mt empty bottle of diet coke to keep it humid until I got home as though it happened only yesterday. Yet look at it now, as big and sprawling and colourful as its mamma plant that still grows on the holy island off the coast of Tenby :)

 

Me and the Bad Bois

Monday, August 7, 2023

 I've decided to take a much needed break from writing through the month of August. Going to chill for a few weeks and get some of my garden and houseplants in some kind of order. 

My writing will pick up again in September, when I will start working on Tidal Gower in earnest and continue bashing my Zombie novel in shape...

Kew Gardens

Sunday, August 06, 2023

Heading home day, but not before a family visit to Kew Gardens:

Two particular highlights I simply had to share from the Gardens was the Pagoda and the giant lily pads:

The steps to the top of the pagoda were not a particular challenge, but I think the video of my descent (albeit sped up) just how the building is. Definitely worth the extra fiver they claw from your pocket to undertake the climb and the view of Kew and the distant London cityscape are outstanding.

I'll close this series of holiday posts with a short video of the popular giant lily pads. I hope you enjoy:

'Twas time for a teary farewell then as my daughter and her partner headed back to Norwich and the rest of us returned to rainy ole Swansea...

Under the Weather Hero

Saturday, August 5, 2023

The second day of our family get-together. Unfortunately, it was also the day I take my meds, and I felt more than rough for the full day. So, not too many pics today, but feeling quiet, I took a nice little audio snapshot of the family as we floated gently along the Thames. Whilst that's for the family album, here's the pics I took:

The Day I Met Meowth

Friday, August 4, 2023

Spent the morning doing a little writing before everyone else woke up, then took a chilled stroll along the Thames near our home for the weekend, in a most beautiful part of London, Mosely.

We all took a nice stroll through Bushy Park in the afternoon. The place was full of parakeets, squirrels, rabbits, trout and Red Deer. Heaven on Earth.

I kind of held my nerve for longer than I should have for the following video. Looking back, I kinda wish I had held it a while longer, but better safe than sorry.

I even got to tickle a trout!

 All in all, a great day outdoors :) I even bumped into this character!

Meowth's fur was softer than I had imagined

The Whispering Sky

Thursday, August 3, 2023 

Needing to get away for a few days to meet up with my daughter, we took a long weekend break in Mosely, London, where we rented an apartment for three nights. The weather forecast was gloomy but as we crossed the Severn Bridge to England, the sky whispered a promise for a brighter few days ahead. 

I visited my favourite Yew tree yesterday

 July 26, 2023

My day job is getting VERY stressful, and I can feel my anxiety issues starting to peak again. And so, even though I only have a couple of days of my annual leave remaining (until March 2024!), I needed to take a half day from the place to sort my head out. And so, accompanied by my good friend L8, we head down Gower for the afternoon, during which I visited my favourite Yew tree in the old graveyard in the tiny hamlet of Ilston.

Tidal Gower

July 22, 2023

Working on a new 'between novels' project - exploring some of the little-known delights that can be found along the Swansea and Gower Coast. Watch out for lots of images that I will be considering for inclusion in the series of zines...

Let me introduce you to Old Nick

July 20, 2023 

I was in too much of a good mood this morning to hang around the office for too long today. So, instead, I thought I'd catch up with my Swansea documentary project and have myself a nice walk around the city, including the old Swansea Museum. Whilst there, I bumped into Swansea's infamous 'Old Nick' statue. Now, this guy has a very interesting story to tell - one I may relay to you in the near future. For now, though, for those who have yet to meet him, let me introduce the devil who is said to have cursed the city's largest church and engulfed the building in flames!

 

Vampires from Hell

Sunday, July 16, 2023

 I have felt very rushed with work and deadlines lately, both with my writing career and in my day job. To try and get at least a few of my evenings back, I devoted this past weekend to getting my novella completed, which I am happy to report has now been accomplished.  So, you may ask, what next?

Well, first of all, I am going to remove the deadline for Cold Comfort, which had been set for the end of 2023. Now, Cold Comfort has one hell of a long word count, and whilst it is true that the novel is on its final third edit, it still requires a fair bit of work. Expect to see that novel out sometime in 2024  now, along with another project that has been quite a while in the waiting - Pyewacket. I haven't written anything remotely to do with Pyewacket for a while now, but the plot of the book has been on my mind. I have high hopes for Pyewacket,  but don't hold your breath waiting to get your hands on a copy. Not just yet anyway...

In the meanwhile, look out for another fotozine on a topic close to my heart coming out sometime over the next few months. These are a lot easier to put together than novels or guidebooks. Plus I actually enjoy putting these together. So, whilst I am intending to go slow with my next couple of writing projects, I won't be lazy. So, watch this space...

On a Mission

July 14, 2023 

I'm on a mission this weekend. Can you guess what it is?

Even vampires can change their names

July 09,2023

Half way through the final edit of my next book. Oh, and it's having a last-minute title change too...

The sun is shining

June 08, 2023

Been a rough week health-wise, with the side effects of my meds wrecking me. Got another blood test next week to check how my body is holding up with them. But my last book is published, and my next one will be complete in a few weeks, I have a long weekend, the sun is shining, and our garden is looking absolutely gorgeous...

 

Cracking on with Vampires...

July 07, 2023

With the excitement of the publication of Explore Gower's Remnants of War already receding, my attention this month has been focused on getting the final draft of my next book ready to face the world. This is more of a novella than a novel, but in the past five days, I've already got the first four chapters finalised. Just eleven chapters to go now. The deadline is July 31st. The cover illustration is not quite finished, I think it needs a splash of blood lol, but here's a reminder of what will be taking up most of my time this month: