And faster than an express train, November arrives! The recent weather has accelerated the falling leaves, but the trees are still looking gloriously golden. Have a fabulous first of the month!

Have fun, whatever you end up doing 👻

Happy Halloween, and an especially happy one to those of us who were born on this hallowed day! Have a spooktacular day everyone!

What have I found out? The difference between 'shell' and 'front' companies, particularly for illegal purposes, and what happens when a prime minister resigns. I do love a bit of research 🔬

Seems reasonable 🎃

That’s part 1 of my November website feature done. There are so many coincidences linked to it, especially the timing, and as we all know, I do love a coincidence.

Doing a little side-hustle this morning. My November website feature that’s going to be a three, or possibly, four-parter. Now popping out for a quick visit this afternoon, looks like I’ll need my umbrella ☔️

Looking a tad gloomy outside in my neck of the woods. So here’s wishing you a happy Halloween hump day 😁

In the wake of my special news yesterday, I’ve laid the foundations for my next book, and with the Ian Rankin comments on reader wants & needs ringing in my ears, I’m two short stories in, and have decided on the title. I’m working at one of my three jobs today, so I’ll catch you on the flipside.

I said I had some 📚 news… well, here it is!! Rather excited 🤩

I have some good news linked to my forthcoming book that I will be sharing with you later. Meanwhile, this morning I will be working at one of my three jobs, before heading out for my afternoon appointment. I know right, even I have a job keeping up with me! Have a great day everyone.

You could well believe there are some very little people living under these fairy ring fungi that have popped up in my lawn. They really do make ideal homes in children’s fairy tales.

As it’s extra chilly this morning on this side of the world, I’ll imagine I’m enjoying my fresh orange juice on a warmer sunny spring day. But the extra hour today is very welcome, I have much to do! Enjoy your Sunday, whatever you’re up to 😊

After the morning shift, I headed home to concentrate on the blurb rewrite, and press release details. Pleased to say I’ve accomplished both. I think it may now be wine o’clock. And don’t forget to put your clocks and watches back one hour tonight 😁

And as the fall-time approaches…

Planning my marketing strategy for my next book, and 3am on a Saturday morning is absolutely the best time for this! Also reminded myself the clocks go back in UK tonight/tomorrow, so a whole extra hour of thinking time Going to slip in a bit of blurbing before I head off to work this morning.

But I'm all for the 'I thought about it first, therefore it's mine' rule.

My walk to work this morning. Not too shabby is it 😎

Was it just me, or did the temperature plummet last night? This is in actual picture of my bedroom when I eventually got up to get two more blankets from the crate. Still, at least I have an explanation of why I didn’t sleep… the shivering kept me awake all night 🥶😂

I’ve been doing a bit more research on my beautiful vintage copy of Keats’ The Influence of Beauty. Publication date is circa 1880, and one of the illustrators was Baroness Marie von Beckendorff who came from an aristocratic German Baltic family, who fled Russia in the 1830s. Here’s another stanza

Agatha Christie legacy lives on as Mr Poirot and Little Miss Marple join the Mr Men and Little Miss books collection. A great way to encourage children to keep reading as they get older. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

My todo list is growing, including rewriting my blurb, and contacting @societyofauthors.bsky.social for their advice.

Another day, another job… morning spent at job number two, but this afternoon I’ve been progressing my latest story, plus the add-ons which I’m having to get specialist advice on. It’s no longer enough to simply write a book, it needs bells and whistles to make it more appealing.

Morning everyone. Sharing Keats’ The Influence of Beauty with you. This is one of my most treasured finds, and Keats is one of my most loved poets. Have a great day ☺️

After a morning at one of my three jobs, I’ve been working on my next short story this afternoon. It’s another contemporary fictional piece that will resonate with many. There are some unusual additions I’ll be making too!

Here is your Tuesday Word of the Day: Gongorism Originated by the Spanish poet Luis de Góngora during the Baroque period of Spanish history. ¡Siempre te esperamos!

Venn diagram of my life right now. I need a PA to keep me in the loop!

My theatre series pitch is sent. Each magazine I have worked with over the years, invariably ask for different submission formats. Some like double spacing, others single. Some indented paragraphs and double inverted commas. This time, it was a basic word doc they asked for. Now to wait and see 🙂

After an extremely busy weekend at one of my three jobs, I'm hitting the ground running this morning with a newsletter, a magazine pitch, and continuing with my next little vignette, the title for which is so utterly perfect. Have a great week everyone!

No nice Sunday breakfast for me today, I’m off to work. It’s bucketing down here, so here’s a beautiful autumn sunshine filled glade to make up for it. Have a lovely day everyone 😁

‘The number of children who read outside school every day has halved in 20 years’ www.thetimes.com/uk/get-brita...

Book title and blurbs. The two big Bs. The difficult bits. I've just written another contemporary and very on-trend vignette, and whilst lying in bed this morning, wide awake at 3am, the title of the story quite literally jumped up like an over-excited football fan at a Sunday away game.

Busy day! Including a business meeting then a trip to The Book Shop, Bridport who were super efficient getting some books in for me in less than 24 hours. Bought some fabulous bookmarks too, so no excuse for dog ears!

You made it 🤩 Happy Friday everyone, although, if like me, you’ll be working over the weekend (as usual), then happy days! I’m off to a meeting this morning, for my freelance work, and to give you a clue ¡Que te vaya bien!

Researching my website feature for November. Surprised to learn the window tax in the UK, imposed from 1696, was only repealed in 1851. This was despite the overwhelming evidence that the population’s health was suffering as a result of windows being boarded over or bricked up.

In the wake of the 'Organic Literature' certification wisely and brilliantly instigated by Books By People and Scorpius Books I can reassure all my readers, that the content of my books is guaranteed 100% organic and free from any artificial interference.

I've been saying for months now, we need to identify books written by humans, in the same way food manufacturers label food 'organic', so too should books. But what a state to be in!! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde, born this day in 1854. How different his life may have been had he been born a century later. "Be yourself - everyone else is already taken"

No song clues tonight for my forthcoming book, instead, a verse taken from William Ernest Henley's 'Invictus': It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

Not long to go…

If you're looking for something a little bit scary to enjoy, then why not give yourself a scary treat or three.

Emails sent, script reviewed, new story started, and pitch sent. Now that's out of the way, I'll get on with starting my day... part two, and I've not yet had breakfast!

Tonight’s musical hint for my next book, is Why Things Happen 👀 m.youtube.com/watch?v=oQv8...

A walk in the woods on an autumn afternoon 🍂

Here is your Tuesday Word of the Day. Catawampus. When things are not going quite to plan. So much more entertaining than saying it's gone belly up 😅

Things starting to go bang in the night? Happy Tuesday everyone 👻😅

Here is tonight’s musical clue to my upcoming book. Originally released by Chaka Kahn in 1978, then in 1992 by Whitney Houston. m.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDC...

Phew! Coming up for air. I've not budged since 9am, but I've completed the final check of my script before returning it to the publisher. Publication is getting so close now, I can almost smell it. But right now, I need to give my grey matter a break!

Monday again! It's going to be a busy week for me. In the final discussion stage with Brindle!Books Ltd to release my next book. Also writing a newsletter for a local business, and there is just the small matter of getting my next project off the starting blocks. Have a good one!

Hope you’ve all had a good day. Here is my next classic song to give you a hint about my upcoming book. Absolutely love the harmonica in this. Enjoy ☺️ m.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEP...