More public speaking

At last I have completed my talk on Sussex in Fiction. Of course there are many writers I have not included but I have a good mix of crime writers, historical writers and children’s writers. I nearly forgot Winnie the Pooh!

I only have one booking for this year so far and may have to go back onto twitter to let people know I am available.

Now I can start on the poetry anthology. I have about 15 poems, some of which have been on this blog and a friend has given me about ten more so I have been sorting them into sections. It’s funny how many we have both written about our gardens and nature. We had to buy a new bird feeder this week as the squirrel ( or a fox) had run off with the one that held the fat balls.

As for Google + I hardly ever used it so I won’t really miss it.

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Takeaway

We had a Chinese takeaway last night. It was a set meal for two but was enough food for four. We had special fried rice, sweet and sour pork, beef with ginger and spring onions, szechuan chicken and all after a load of hors d’oevres which were almost a meal in themselves. There were also pots of sauces and some chicken nuggets which had been added for some reason. Of course we couldn’t manage all of it so I’ll finish it off today with the prawn crackers!

We had tea with the meal but in the evening finished a bottle of South African Rose wine. We usually drink still wine but this was fizzy and quite sweet – better in the evening with nuts than with a meal. I won’t normally write about our dining habits but this was a bit unusual!

Competitions

Writing Magazine came yesterday and I was hoping for a new Year Planner but there wasn’t one for 2019. However, there were a host of competitions and I resolved to enter some, even if they were not free!

I have started with a poetry competition but I had to find one that had not been published so I used one old one and wrote one new one – in completely different styles. I looked at the winning poem from last year and it was freestyle but I usually write in rhyme.

I started tearing up old papers, from as far back as 2015. I’m afraid I am a terrible hoarder. Being on committees meant I had loads of minutes. I don’t know why I kept them. I had to pull out the stories I had written and the reviews I had had and shred the rest.

I have left Twitter. If I can’t use the time saved writing I’ll have to use it trying out recipes from my new book, or tearing up paper! It’s better than tearing my hair out trying to think up a new novel plot. If I can convince myself that poetry is the way to go I might cheer up. What we all need is recognition. Hey ho!

Treading water

Now we are in 2019 I feel I should be starting something new. I have completed my talk and once I decide on the readings to accompany it I will be ready to try it out.

The other task I wanted to complete was to publish a poetry anthology, either on my own or with another member of the Sea Scribes but that needs finding and sorting an I’m not in the mood.

A twitter writer suggested turning Christmas cards into book marks, but my book marks are part of my marketing strategy so giving away alternatives wouldn’t work.

I wish all my followers from all over the world a Happy New Year. I am grateful for any comments and always ready to contribute to discussions if I know anything about the subject.

Public Speaking

After sending a short story off to a website I started writing my next talk. This will be about Sussex in Fiction and I have chosen a few authors to give as examples of how the County is used as a background in a number of novels, notably those by Simon Brett and Peter James. I’m sure there are many others I have yet to discover but I have completed six pages so do not feel the holiday period has been wasted.

Naturally I have included my six Sussex based novels among those mentioned although I only quote from two. They can all be found through the website http://www.juliecround.com while more about my activities are still on http://www.juliecround.co.uk.

I look forward to continuing my association with the local W.I.

Christmas 2018 verse

Santa surveyed the map of the world stretched out before him, a canvas unfurled.

This year, he told Rudolf, we’ll have a new route, but I’ll still be dressed up in white fur and red suit.

We are going to travel o’er mountain and hill, stopping first in the South, where I’m certain we will

Enjoy the warm night times and fly through the air, giving our gifts to the good children there-

From the East to the West , as the evening draws on we’ll spread the good cheer as we gallop along,

From deserts to jungles, high up in the air, and then we’ll swoop down with those parcels to share,

But as we turn Northward I fear we shall find that we’ve been forgotten, our time left behind-

As nations are squabbling about who’s the best and marching and shouting in bright yellow vests.

There’s fires in the streets and the children all cower, afraid in their beds, still awake at this hour.

As countries divide and the people despair I wonder if any still know that we’re there.

I wonder if stories of an infant birth, designed to bring peace to the people of earth

Can be heard in the clamour of hatred and fear, if the presents we bring will remind them, this year

That nothing is gained by ignoring the news that the whole world relies on the different views

Of the people on earth being able, one day, to agree what is best, so to them all I say

Be kind and be peaceful, there’s plenty to do to keep this world beautiful and safe for you-

Look after the land and the rivers and seas and, at Christmas time, be loving and giving, please.

The Charity Gig results

I’m hoping I can find a good photo to put with this post. The charity gig for St Barnabas House Hospice in Worthing raised £200 and I now have some pictures of some of the musicians and readers but I am going to try to show you the lady who won the lucky ticket prize –  a funny bear clutching a bottle of red wine. Some of my photos won’t come on and I don’t know why. Here goes!