February 24, 2023
Current W.I.P.s: GNS3 | Lost Glove Society
Death Bell by Guy N Smith
February 18, 2023
Time to start by 6th Guy N Smith book of 2023. Reviews coming soon...
Cold Comfort - Ploughing On
February 16, 2023
As I noted in yesterday's blog entry, I did not find enough time to keep up the writing pace I enjoyed on previous days this week. Still, I managed to accomplish work I'd previously allotted five days to accomplish today, so I am not complaining. :)
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.
Taking my mind off things
February 02, 2023
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...
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.
A Busy Week
January 13, 2022
It has been a busy week, which I spent reading, sorting out our attic room and continuing editing the second draft of Cold Comfort, which is coming along to schedule. Unfortunately, the sheer length of this novel means that it won't be ready for publication until the final quarter of 2023 :(
Satan's Snowdrop
Saturday, January 07, 2023
I finished reading Guy N Smith's Doomflight this morning. It is certainly up there with some of the author's finer reads. Today, I commence with what I have been told is one of his darker works - Satan's Snowdrop...
Resolutions Start Slowly
Friday, January 06, 2023
One week into the New Year, and my reading schedule is my only resolution going to plan. I have watched a lot less TV in the evenings, instead devoting this time to ploughing through the Guy N Smith novel Doomflight.
Healthwise, 2023 has not been too kind and I am now back on antibiotics to help reduce my skin inflammation, which is making my mobility an issue. This has obviously affected my goal of getting more exercise and reducing my weight - although I have cut back on my on snacking too heavily. I will continue to monitor my food/drink intake, I don't envision my health improving in that time so a new exercise regime may have to wait a while longer.
My Explore Gower fb page is up and running, though I need to increase its popularity.
I have a week away from my day job now as the union there has called a five-day strike for my department. I hope to use this time to get two further chapters of Cold Comfort sorted in second draft format and to start reading my second Guy N Smith novel of the year - the title of which I am still undecided upon.
The first writing Sesh of the year always feel good.
Well, I certainly didn't expect to be writing more of my Pyewacket novel on my first writing sesh of the year. But the idea for Chapter three buzzed in me yesterday evening whilst watching I-can't-remember-what.
Click on the above photo and see if you can see fudjcat hidden in there somewhere lol.
2023 Reading List
Sunday, January 01, 2023
Following on from my last post post, these three titles arrived through my letterbox the other day:
I am eager to read the top book of the above pile, but first I have to get through this little book:
I am going to try and read as many Guy N Smith books as I can in 2023. I wonder many I will be able to get thru...
Mr Strange's Christmas Dream
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
I had some fantastic gifts this Christmas, amongst them these - an original hand-written draft of a Guy N Smith's short story, along with its finalised printed book form. He wrote the tale on old banking paper whilst keeping down a day job as a clerk there in the early days of his career.
It is fascinating to see how Guy's original draft had changed by the time it was published.
The acquirement of this fascinating handwritten draft of my favourite author has enthused me to the degree where I am going to read as many of his horror novels as I can. I certainly have enough books by him on my library shelf:
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