Today, in Caithness, the sun is shining and the air is clear. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone reading this blog that, certain weathers and certain times of the year ignite certain music in me. And, on late winter days which are filled with sunshine, I am usually to be found singing the songs of The Spinners . Inevitably, I start humming different ones of their songs (and of course adapting them to be about Orlando and Jess) as I go around doing different things. But I remember almost all the words to them. I haven't heard a lot of them in years, but they are all there, rooted in my memory. It is truly fascinating to think about how these songs have passed through history. They are part of my own nostalgia, which is why crisp sunny mornings make me incapable of ignoring the temptation to sing them, but they are part of something much bigger. There are songs amongst them which are a newer step in the folk music movement. Songs like Silver in the Stubble are amongs...
Looking back always makes me feel a bit nostalgic and there are points in this year that I could relive time and time again.
Highlights for me were being there at the launch of Virginia's historical fiction novel Day's Dying Glory in April and then the Perthshire holiday straight after. That was a super relaxing time that will remain in my most treasured memories for years. Here are some pictures of the holiday:
You may have recognised the ruined house as the one we used in the Ghost Story Competition video. That was another highlight of 2017 - our first competition encouraged about 100 entries and all the stories I read from the longlist were absolutely superb. It was a tricky business creating the shortlist but we got there in the end.
I have also reviewed some very good books, and read some super books that I will post throughout January.
Take a look at some of the books I've read here.
And after such an amazing year, I'm now looking forward to 2018 with some fairly hefty targets to meet.
As well as completing my probationary teaching year, alongside all the reading, marking and research I need to conduct, I am also looking forward to being on the publishing team for "Child of the Isle" in Summer. This is a book of memoirs taken from blog posts here but with a few extra chapters and photos. The blog got quite a following throughout the year and I look forward to reaching those readers and more next year.
Another book we are hoping to publish is "The Backwater" which is a ghost story set in Lincolnshire. It is full of intrigue and quite scary so it's not for the faint hearted! We are hoping to coincide this launch with the launch of the next Ghost Story Competition.
My personal New Year's Resolution is to take my first draft of my Middle Grade novel and edit it to publishable standard! Although this is quite a big job, I think it will have to be a holiday activity as there is so much happening with my teaching job. I'm hoping to publish my book (I really need to think of a proper title for it too - not my favourite part!) in Summer 2019.
Now, I am heading off to continue the marketing plan for Child of the Isle. It's all go-go-go!
Best wishes for 2018!
Highlights for me were being there at the launch of Virginia's historical fiction novel Day's Dying Glory in April and then the Perthshire holiday straight after. That was a super relaxing time that will remain in my most treasured memories for years. Here are some pictures of the holiday:
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Virginia at her book launch for "Day's Dying Glory"
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Just down the road from where we stayed in Perthshire
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I have also reviewed some very good books, and read some super books that I will post throughout January.
Take a look at some of the books I've read here.
And after such an amazing year, I'm now looking forward to 2018 with some fairly hefty targets to meet.
As well as completing my probationary teaching year, alongside all the reading, marking and research I need to conduct, I am also looking forward to being on the publishing team for "Child of the Isle" in Summer. This is a book of memoirs taken from blog posts here but with a few extra chapters and photos. The blog got quite a following throughout the year and I look forward to reaching those readers and more next year.
Another book we are hoping to publish is "The Backwater" which is a ghost story set in Lincolnshire. It is full of intrigue and quite scary so it's not for the faint hearted! We are hoping to coincide this launch with the launch of the next Ghost Story Competition.
My personal New Year's Resolution is to take my first draft of my Middle Grade novel and edit it to publishable standard! Although this is quite a big job, I think it will have to be a holiday activity as there is so much happening with my teaching job. I'm hoping to publish my book (I really need to think of a proper title for it too - not my favourite part!) in Summer 2019.
Now, I am heading off to continue the marketing plan for Child of the Isle. It's all go-go-go!
Best wishes for 2018!
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