apologies

I’m very sorry my fellow crusaders, ROW80 and all those lovely followers of my blog. I was (maybe foolishly) convinced I could separate external factors enough to carry on with crusading and writing.

I can’t.

I don’t want to disappear completely but I will have to withdraw from ROW80 and Rach’s Crusade. Intermittently I’ll be around, will continue to try and read/comment on other blogs and post the odd thing…

I have no timetable for these plans as the last few months have taught me that more often then not I can’t keep them.

Phoenix (take2) & competition

On Friday I worked out that I’ve bought 32 books this month… O_O
As of tomorrow it’ll be 33.

I buy books, show tickets pretty much most things in even numbers, there are a few exceptions. Such as 13*, 21, 33 and basically anything ending in a 5. I will round 5 up to 6 though – go figure. It’s a somewhat annoying and expensive habit of mine.

Writing-wise I’ve reached an interesting time…

I haven’t written as much and I’m behind on my ROW80 targets (truth be told they’ve sort of gone out the window) yet while the quantity of words is lower, the actual quality is better then ever before so I won’t beat myself up about it.

I plan on writing another chapter today and putting the other pieces in the right before order. My main target for ROW80 was to finish the first draft of part one. I think I’m still on track for that.

I’ve told you my annoying habit (I think my shyness with strangers annoys my family more) so it’s time to confess the rest.

• one secret: Twirling in rainbows on a cold dark stage. Which was being let into a theatre and trying on the costumes, exploring backstage and dancing on the actual stage in costume.
• one interesting quirk: I really truly have no rhythm. I can see it. If I watch people dance/clap I can tell you if they are wrong but when it comes to doing it myself I can’t. Marieke is the perfect witness to this, we’ve seen a few** shows and I have to copy her in order to clap to the beat. If I don’t copy I go wrong.
• one of your best character traits: I am a very loyal friend and will do pretty much anything in the world for the people I love.
• one of your favourite things in the whole world: This one was hard, I included loads in the poem. That I live by the sea, the whole ghost and moving wall paragraph is one of the trips I took with Marieke. (One of our friends was playing a ghost in the musical Secret Garden and he had to move the scenery as part of the role – we might have teased him a bit ) Journey to Atlantis is a ride in Sea World, or it was went I went for my 21st birthday and having the entire cast of Dancing with the Stars wonder into the hotel bar in Philadelphia is another…

The lie?

I’ll get to that in a moment, going back to my habit and the slightly obscene number of books purchases (work bonuses are dangerous). I have been reading like crazy to keep up (14 1/2 for this month) and two of my favourite reads were: Cracked Up To Be & Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers.

So I’m going to give away Some Girls Are because I think it’s just that tiny little bit better then Cracked Up To Be.

To enter leave me a comment and you get extra entries for following me on Twitter, subscribing and if you guessed the lie you get another 2.

I lied when I said I’d been trapped behind iron bars. I’ve had plenty of chances with all the historical places I’ve visited. I’ve managed to avoid it so far. Not so lucky with ghosts though…

The competition closes on the 12 March 2011 and they winners will be announced on the 14 March 2011. It’s internal providing the Book Depository delivers to your country, you can check their list here.

Good luck!

 

*lucky in our family
** ok, LOADS

The First Crusader Challenge

I learned two new words today, courtesy of Rach’s first crusader challenge but I had to look them up first. How many of you had to do that?

The Challenge
In 300 words or less, tell us:

• one secret
• one lie
• one interesting quirk
• one annoying habit
• one of your best character traits, and
• one of your favourite things in the whole world.

The post can be in any format, including poetry but must include the random words, “bloviate,” “fuliguline,” “rabbit,” and “blade”.

I decided to ignore the fact that I’ve never written poetry or done anything remotely similar, and to just go for it. It’s a challenge after all.

Psst!
Come closer.
Closer still.
I am here to tell you of our protagonist,
against her will.

 

Here in the darkness let me bloviate
as I tell you the tale of a girl
who has twirled in rainbows
on a cold dark stage.

 

With sparkling eyes
that cut like a blade,
she had travelled the world.
By air and by sea
and found the one place
she truly wishes to be.
Right here, next to the coast.

 

Psst!
Be still.
Let me continue my boast.

 

She is loyal and true
to those that are dear,
but quiet
when strangers are near.

 

She sees rhythm and movement in those who dance
but ask her to follow, she’ll fall in a heap
tripping over her very own feet.

 

Another secret I have to share.
She found her name, not in fuliguline,
but from the rabbit’s best friend,
a feisty feline.

 

Psst!
Stay near.
There is more to hear.

 

She prefers evens to odds in all manor of things
when purchasing words,
magic,
and other such things.

 

She has journeyed to Atlantis,
danced with the stars,
and once
been trapped behind iron bars.

 

And finally,
I tell you true.
She could be a friend
to any of you.

 

For she knows secret gardens
and ghosts who move walls.
She has found hidden worlds,
buried below city streets.
Yet these are not her treasures to keep.

 

But most important of all,
before I bid you goodbye.
Know this.
She is I.

 

Halt!
Come back!
Psst!
Let me speak.

 

Which of the things,
I told to you,
does not ring true?

all Tangled up…

On Monday one of my colleagues decided to make her cold a communal experience. Now I don’t know about you but I’m not creative when I’m sick, I’m not very nice to know then either. So once I got back from work I spent Monday & Tuesday night curled up on the sofa with books from my trash-pile* and tissues for my very red nose. Rudolph look out you have competition.

Wednesday, feeling much better, my friend and I went to see Tangled (2D, I don’t get the need for 3D – doesn’t add much in my opinion, apart from to the pricetag) which is wonderful! Go see it! It’s Disney at it’s best, you know the Disney you loved growing up that went missing these last few years.

I didn’t start writing again until yesterday** and by the end of 3 chapters I was worn out. Sometimes I worry about being cruel to my characters, then I think about my writing-buddy and realise it’s not so unusual.

I’m going to spent the rest of today tidying what I wrote up, before finding something very happy to fill my evening with so I can recover. Feel free to share any recommendations on TV shows, films or books that would do the job.

I’m also joining Rach Write’s Crusade, which I missed first time round. I’m hoping it’ll help me keep on top of my other goal this year. Read and comment on more blogs, something I’m still not that great at. If you’re interested please pop by, she’s lovely I tell you.

 

*I should find a better name really, they are the reads where you don’t have to get to involved, get a happy end and enjoy the ride.
**I got carried away with trash-pile books, I’ve read like one per night.