Uncertainty and desserts

Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first.  

Ernestine Ulmer

I like this quote from the nineteenth century American writer who lived to the age of 94.  It seems very apt as we hover on the dawn of another new year.  Let's hope 2013 is a good one. 

Carnival of the Indies for December

One of  my blogposts called "E-books and Writing for Children"
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/e-books-and-writing-for-children.html
has been reposted on the wonderful Self-publishing Carnival of the Indies.

There are some brilliant and hugely varied posts about indie publishing on this site, with lots of invaluable information, so do have a look.

Check it out   http://goo.gl/13Oph

Fear and understanding

"Nothing in life is to be feared.  It is only to be understood."

Marie Curie.

I just came across this wonderful quote and it seemed apt for the impending new year. If only I could adopt this philosophy....

Last pre-Christmas post.....

Today I am over at the wonderful Creatabot, talking about playing, dreaming and how this relates to the act of creating, storytelling and writing.  To read the post go to:

http://creatabot.co.uk/2012/12/21/play-dream-write-by-jane-ayres/

I will probably take a break from blogging until after Christmas, so have a good one....

Related posts:

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-art-of-wish-fulfilment.html

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/models-playing-god-and-storytelling.html

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/once-upon-time.html

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/art-of-storytelling.html

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/happy-endings.html

Leaving footprints

Setting up my Goodreads profile has been an interesting process.  It forced me to think about the books I have read and loved over the years, many of which had been pushed to the recesses of my memory. It reminds me of what a feast of wonderful words are available to us, and how I have not read anywhere near as much as I would have liked this year.  I will try to read more, although often it gets pushed to the bottom of my to do list and confined to days of illness or long journeys.

When I moved house a few years ago I had a major book cull.  I reduced everything down to two large cardboard boxes.  When I moved again I determined only to keep those precious books that meant something special to me, that I would re-read and could not bear to part with.  So various charities benefited from my major clear-out and I had to be very selective about what I kept, due to limited space. (Thank goodness for my kindle!)

Stand out titles include Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, a self-help bible that helped me cope with various life crises and Edith Wharton's heart-wrenching tragedy Ethan Frome; the intense love story Damage by Josephine Hart, and the brilliant Fat: A Love Story by Barbara Wersba, which I read when I worked for Random House many moons ago. I will re-read the wonderful Story of my Life by Jay McInerny and hope to soon pick up again on collected stories of 1930s sci-fi edited by Isaac Asimov.

Of course, by setting up my Goodreads profile, my Facebook page, my blog, my Amazon wishlist and reviews I am leaving a trail of footprints about myself.  Me and millions and millions of others.  And in a way this is reflected in yesterday's post and takes me back to when I started this blog a year ago, when I thought about the future, the impact of technology on our lives and our brains, the prophecies of visionary writers like Philip K Dick and Asimov. My own journey in indie publishing and blogging.  I am leaving traces, revealing myself in a way that is both liberating and frightening.

Feel the fear indeed.....

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/are-novels-getting-weirder.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/on-books-digital-landscape-and-bigger.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/on-connections.html

Thirty three

Two posts today, because earlier I managed to run for 33 minutes without stopping, and I am thrilled about this, because it is a first for me.  Previously, I couldn't manage more than 20 minutes before I gave in to my heavy legs.  I never was very good at pushing through the pain barrier and challenging myself.  But today, I did it and it makes me realise that I AM capable and that I can push myself further.  This is a good lesson for me and I hope to apply it to other aspects of my life, including my writing.  

When I run, I count.  Counting is useful when you are having an anxiety attack and when you can't sleep.  It's a handy meditative tool.  Therapy.  And this reminded me of a story I wrote some time ago, in which counting is an integral part of the structure.

I'm a genre writer and this is where I have achieved most of my writing success in commercial terms.  However, I also have a stack of short stories on a range of topics, some of which have been published, many in small press magazines,  and some have not.  

Treading Water was first published in a wonderful small press literary magazine called QWF (Quality Women's Fiction) which gave me so many opportunities and support and encouragement with my writing.  I revised the story, which is only 950 words long,  it won the Folkestone Literary Festival short story competition in 2008, (I had 2 stories shortlisted, amazingly) and it was later published in the Folkstone Anthology in 2010. 

It has an additional  poignancy for me now, having lost both my dearly loved parents to cancer within a six month period. 

Having achieved my 33 minutes today I have decided to share Treading Water on my blog and you can find it here. 
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/p/short-stories.html

Are novels getting weirder?

As someone who comparatively recently realised what I was missing out on by not reading any science fiction – and who has just discovered Asimov and Philip K Dick – I really enjoyed this brilliant and thought provoking post by Matt Haig, the online writer in residence for Booktrust,  the largest independent reading and writing charity in the UK. The post is called The End of Reality – why novels are getting weirder.

An extract is below but I would urge you to read the whole post (and check out the Booktrust site too).. 

If you are 25 or over the world has changed beyond all recognition in your lifetime. The way we communicate with friends, the way we get our news, the way we buy stuff, and increasingly the way we read books - all that is changing. We are slicing up the cake of reality into seven billion pieces. We are living side by side and miles away from each other all at once. The only way to see ourselves is to take a large step back. Or sideways.

Or forward.

Perfect reading for the end of 2012, when so much has happened in publishing and 2013 promises even more…..

http://www.booktrust.org.uk/writing/online-writer-in-residence/blog/503

Related posts:

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/on-books-digital-landscape-and-bigger.html

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/on-connections.html

Selling short stories - a new opportunity

For those of you who enjoy writing short stories you might find this new venture of interest:

Launching in early 2013, cutalongstory (CUT) represents a major new opportunity for writers.

CUT offers a no-cost method of launching new stories, promoting them to a huge audience of potential readers – and with the author getting paid every time a story is downloaded.

CUT is dedicated to offering the most compelling selection of short stories ever assembled: a global back-catalogue of classics together with stories from contemporary authors both new and established.

CUT is the creation of a team of people who share a special vision for the short story and we invite you to join us.

To register your interest visit: www.cutalongstory.com

For more info go to

http://www.nawe.co.uk/DB/nawe-news/sell-your-short-stories.html

I've signed up to find out more.  

Self doubt and bravery as a writer

This is a topic that comes up again and again for writers.  Sharing your soul with the world can be a scary thing! You need to develop a hide like a rhino to deal with it.  Writer Nathan Bransford put it so well in a recent post:

You have to be strong enough to put yourself out there, brave and confident as you share a part of yourself with the world. You do it because you love it so much you're willing to risk everything negative that can possibly come your way.

But you also have to be self-critical enough to edit your work and fear failure and be worried that your best might not be good enough, which pushes you just that much further. You have to be scared of what will happen if you don't do your best. You can't ever get comfortable.

Terror and joy. Confidence and self-doubt. The best artists live right in that uncomfortable middle.

To read the complete and brilliant post go to:

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/12/living-on-edge-of-confidence-and-self.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NathanBransford+%28Nathan+Bransford%2C+Author%29

Tails of Whoa Guest Post

Today I am absolutely thrilled to interview Jo Titman, the creator of the wonderful Tails of Whoa horse cartoons.  Check out the links at the bottom of the post - they are simply brilliant!.

Have you always enjoyed drawing?

I have always enjoyed drawing, it is in the core of my soul I reckon. I would spend hours in my room drawing and making 'stuff' as a child. I did lots of little cartoons then as well, although, I never thought I was any good so didn't pursue it as a career until much later. I will never forget being told by my Mother that “No one makes any money doing Art”. I was encouraged to pursue a more academic route and failed miserably at it! I had basically given up until I had my son, found myself on my own when he was two and I took some watercolour classes for the sake of my sanity! My teacher told me I should be doing Art, he told me about a part time Foundation course at a local college. I was in my thirties and a single parent when I did my degree after that. I also lost my Mum to cancer during this time and she told me that her biggest regret was having not encouraged me to go to Art College. But I got there in the end and when my son was old enough did my teacher training and I am now a full time Art Teacher in a Secondary School teaching 12-16 year olds.

Tails of Whoa is a great name. What gave you the idea?

'Tails of Whoa', just like my cartoons just came to me, it arrived from nowhere, I didn't even think about it. Things just arrive if you let them.

How would you like it to develop further?

 I'm not sure how I feel about developing it further, I don’t plan and I don't do well creatively if under pressure, so there is an element of reluctance to push in any one direction. I don’t want it to become something I have to do, I don’t function well like that. I am so far right brain, planning just isn’t part of the equation! I sometimes wonder how I ever manage to get to work on time.

Have you always loved horses?

I can’t ever remember not loving horses. Every Christmas and Birthday I hoped for a pony of my own, it was never to be. We lived in a town, had no money and no horses nearby. Riding lessons once a week was all my parents could afford but it was never really the riding that interested me, for me it was ALL about the relationship. I needed to be with the horses but didn’t like the whole riding school thing, it just didn’t feel right to me. I wanted my own.

Where do you get your ideas from?

It all started when at the age of 49 I got my first horse. He needed me and I needed him. He had a bad tendon injury and his owner couldn’t afford to keep a horse she couldn’t ride so I took him. It didn’t matter to me whether I ever rode him or not. I managed to keep him for 4 years, he is still mine, but after an expensive vet bill following a nasty injury in the field he is now with a friend who can afford the time and care I can’t.  It was my journey with him that started it all. I seriously needed some help with him and found a lovely couple who moved their business 'Holistic Equitation’ into the area. They came to see him and when they discovered I was an Art Teacher we struck up a deal, I couldn’t afford lessons so I agreed to do some huge horse pictures for their ménage in return for lessons and help. I had no idea whether I could do it or not but was willing to give it a go to help Del. These are the first ever horse pictures I did. They are 4ft x 2ft6, Acrylic and Conte crayon on board. It has all kind of grown from there.  I was bereft when I had to rehome Del, I cried solidly for three weeks but I knew it was the best for him, he is very happy where he is, it is much nicer than the old yard, he is enjoying his retirement but would have him back in a flash if I didn’t work full time and could afford to keep him. Words cannot express just how special he is to me.

The cartoons came about after Del became very attached to a mare, he became very herd bound at that time and this was the very first cartoon I did as a result of his expression whenever she went out.  

Horse welfare is and always has been uppermost in my mind especially after having met Del, he was an ex National Hunt Racehorse and then Hunted and saw the damage this had done to him. After joining many welfare groups including ‘Anti Rolkur’ I was inspired to do the ‘Blue Tongue’ cartoons during this year’s Olympics. It has all taken off since then. As I did more I decided to separate them from my other FB Art page ‘Lost Perspective’ and set up ‘Tails of Whoa’ in October this year. I am amazed at the popularity of them and it spurs me on to do more. The ideas come to me as a result of my own experiences at the yard, I just do them for fun as they come to mind. I didn’t plan any of it, it just happens and I actually can’t help myself! Even though I don’t see Del very often as he is an hours drive away,  I go to the old yard at least twice a week just to sniff a horse and take my little dog Twiglet who virtually grew up there. I watch and in watching and seeing the ideas flood in, the ‘Tis the Season to be Muddy’ one came about after seeing Paddy a little grey covered in mud after a jolly good roll.

I have to ask about The Stool of Contemplation. Tell us more….

Ah yes, this is where all my ideas come to me in a flash, I sometimes sit there laughing to myself as I think about them, good job I live on my own! It is in my kitchen and have to confess that this is where I sit to have a cuppa and a fag! I don’t smoke anywhere else in the house, I have two parrots as well as the dog and a chameleon called Gherkin so spare them the smoke.  So, this is where I sit and contemplate life, a few moments of calm and tranquillity after a hard day or week at work. It is in those moments that I get the ideas or work on ones I have already had. It doesn’t happen anywhere else so reckon it’s a magical place to be. Doing nothing is highly under rated in our fast paced lives. Del also taught me a lot about this.

Which projects are you working on right now?

I have been very busy doing portrait commissions, dogs, cats, people and horses for Christmas and have another four to do after Christmas. I am desperate to finish the first oil painting I have done in 20 years, I started it as a personal challenge as I have never considered myself a painter, I hope to get some more of this done in between commissions. I am also working on a fox, just for me.  I joined a group called ‘Equine Artists’ last year and seeing the amazing work on there kicked me into action, I love a challenge. I have agreed to do some cartoons for free for a couple of horse charities so will be working on them after Christmas. I also have another huge one to do for Holistic which I promised them ages ago, I have really enjoyed doing the big ones and just do these for the love of it now. Having them up on their ménage wall is an amazing place to exhibit my work.

How can we buy your work?

Hopefully I am getting to that, whether it is that comment from my Mother which still hangs over me, I never set out to make money from any of it. It was needs must for the big horse pictures and the cartoons started  just for fun. The portraits came about just for friends and to see if I could do it. I hadn’t done a pastel portrait before so again that was just a personal challenge. I had no intention of selling ‘Tis the Season’ as a Christmas Card but did so due to popular demand, I could barely afford the printing costs so it was a bit of a gamble. I also saw it as a way to help horses as 10% of anything I made is going to H.O.P.E the Dartmoor Horse Charity. It has all really taken off now and have had my first cartoon commission. It is very difficult balancing my passion with work, teaching is very demanding and I usually come home exhausted. Thank heavens for the school holidays!

I am considering doing more items for sale but have to weigh up the time and financial risk. My son, thankfully, rustled up my web site just so I could sell the cards but hope to offer prints and possibly more ‘Tails of Whoa’ items.  I will certainly be doing more cards and a calendar next year.  A lot will depend on how much of a following I have and demand, small runs on printing isn’t cheap. I would love to do a book of cartoons but we shall see. I will always be donating to one horse charity or another though. In an ideal world I would give up full time work and devote my time to what I love best.  Any new developments will be posted on my page and of course I am open to suggestions. 

For more info email joti26@gmail.com or go to

 http://www.tails-of-whoa.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/TailsOfWhoa

The Liebster Blog Award

Thank you, Vikki, at brilliant blog http://the-view-outside.com/ for nominating me.  It really made my day.   I have discovered that "Liebster" is German for favourite. It's taken me a while to get this together but are the 11 Random Facts about me:

1.    I’m a classically trained singer but I haven’t performed publically for many years.  Plan to change this in 2013….

2.    I enjoy watching fantasy and supernatural series on TV.  Favourites include Grimm, Supernatural, Bedlam, Merlin and Once Upon a Time. And Primeval. Love the dinosaurs!

3.    Although I don’t drink alcohol I am partial to chocolate liqueurs….

4.    I developed asthma when I was eighteen.

5.    Pet hate is nuts in cakes.  And mayonnaise in anything.

6.    When I bake I substitute olive oil for butter/margarine.    Healthier and tastes great (but doesn’t work in flapjacks, as I discovered recently).

7.    Favourite smells are bergamot and patchouli.

8.    When I was a small child, I found some discarded razor blades on a rubbish pile and picked them up.  Ouch!

9.    Favourite films include Marnie, Rebecca (both Hitchcock), Gone with the Wind, Ladyhawke, Finding Nemo and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Adventures.

10.  I’m a certified NLP Practitioner

11.  I can do the Argentine Tango.

Phew!  Next, my questions from Vikki:

And here are my 11 questions:

Q. Are you a punctual person or are you usually late?

Always late.  It’s my middle name and drives my friends (and me) to distraction.  I try hard to be punctual but if I find I can squeeze yet another last minute task out of those few spare moments between appointments, I do.  I claim I inherited a “being late” gene from my dear late mum!
Q. How many hours a week do you spend watching TV? Now come on, be honest!

Hard to say, as in the evenings the TV is usually on but I am on my laptop trying to multi-task.  So I am only half watching.  I like the soaps, Young Apprentice and generally tape Pointless!
Q. What do you wear in bed?

Nothing.  But I love sitting around in my big fluffy dressing gown and furry boot slippers.  Best outfit ever.
Q. In a heated argument do you walk away or keep at it until you’ve had the final word?

Depends on what the argument is about

Q.How many times a day do you look in a mirror? Come on, you can tell us.

In the morning, because my hair sticks up like a cockatoo!
Q. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Groan, then hide under the duvet.
Q. Do you consider yourself lucky?

I don’t know what I think about the concept of luck. 
Q. What are your top 3 pet peeves?

Bullies in any form, selfish drivers and nuts in cakes!
Q. What character in The Wizard of Oz are you most like?

I only saw it once when I was little and to be honest I can’t remember the characters, but the dog was cute.

Q. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

I regularly shoe cull.  3 pairs of boots, 2 pairs of trainers, flip flops, some “going-out” shoes plus several pairs of pole dance shoes that I never get the chance to wear now. L

I’m delighted to say thank you to all the bloggers who continuously share what they know and what they learn with other writers. Without their generosity I probably wouldn’t have achieved what I have so far. I am nominating for the Liebster Award:

http://lindabenson.blogspot.co.uk/

http://joannegphillips.wordpress.com/

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/

http://excusemewhileinotethatdown.blogspot.co.uk/

http://ponybookchronicles.blogspot.co.uk/

http://artatwoodhouse.co.uk/blog/index.php

http://findingmycreature.wordpress.com

http://bookfutures.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.bettyherbert.com/category/blog/

http://www.thefatpony.co.uk/latest-posts/

http://www.greatbooksforhorselovers.com/

  

Thank you all!  And if you accept my nomination, here are my 11 Questions for the bloggers I have nominated:

1.What is your biggest achievement so far?

2.If you could choose your own name what would it be?

3.Sun or snow?

4.What is your favourite book/s?

5. If your friends used 3 words to describe you, what would they be?

6.What was your childhood ambition?

7.What makes you laugh?

8.Chocolate fudge cake or doughnuts?

9.Who would play you in a film about your life?

10.What is your best quality?

11. If you could give advice to your 12 year old self, what would it be?

Here are the rules:

1. When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.

2. Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (while making sure you notify the blogger that you nominated them!)

3. You write up 11 NEW questions directed towards YOUR nominees.

4. You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated your own blog!

5. You paste the award picture into your blog. (You can Google the image, there are plenty of them!)

Time to Write

Finding the time to write and how to divide your time between writing and marketing your work is a regular topic for writers, and for good reason.  It can be a constant challenge, and I have tried various strategies but have not yet found a perfect solution.

However, I recently came across two blogs which give great advice.  Both Self-Published Authors and Dean Wesley Smith talk about how to prioritise your time and their take on the 80/20 rule. Check these out:

http://selfpubauthors.com/2012/12/09/blogging-social-networking-answering-emails-hey-when-do-i-get-the-time-to-write/

                                                   

http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=8272

Great Books for Horse Lovers

Thank you to Vanessa Wright and Pegasus for featuring my Matty books on their lovely site Great Books for Horse Lovers. Click on the link to read it and to view some great videos from Redwings.

http://www.greatbooksforhorselovers.com/2012/12/buy-pony-e-book-help-horse-this-holiday.html

Vanessa is an award-winning teacher, author, and creator of the internationally touring library exhibit, The Literary Horse: When Legends Come to Life.

As karma would have it, we both have a story in the wonderful Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in the Their Lives (Seal Press, 2010) which chronicles the many ways in which horses accompany women on their life's journey. The book is edited by Verna Dreisbach with a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Jane Smiley.  

Author talk at John Wallis Academy

Recently I had the great pleasure of being invited by Sarah Sammut, who is responsible for Learning and Reading Support, to visit the John Wallis Academy in Ashford to give a talk in the school library to 36 students from Yr 6 upwards. 

I have visited a lot of schools, but I was overwhelmed by the warm welcome I received and also the sheer enthusiasm of the pupils.  Sometimes, when I give an author talk and ask if the students have any questions, it can be a tentative process, but I was delighted to be greeted by a sea of hands.  Their questions were thoughtful and thought-provoking and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Sarah is clearly passionate about encouraging creativity in her pupils and she also runs an excellent free online journal http://www.aspiringwritersjournal.com/

The  fifth edition comes out in January 2013 and, in Sara's words, "its purpose is to act as a stepping stone for would be writers, something to give them confidence and self-worth."

I urge you to check it out and look forward to my next visit to this wonderful learning environment. 

Residency for Writers at Cove Park in 2013

I just came across this opportunity for writers who like the idea of some quiet space and time to write.  Note, however, that you have to be trad published to apply - they won't accept indie published work.  Grrrr. Don't get me started on that.....Anyway, it may be of interest. The location looks stunning. 

Residency for Writers at Cove Park in 2013

Deadline: January 14th

Applications for the 2013 programme of funded Literature Residencies are welcomed from established writers in Scotland, the UK and internationally

There are two Literature Residencies, of between one and three months each, for Scottish, UK and international writers. These residencies will take place during May to September 2013. Applications are invited from established writers of short and long fiction; poetry; literary non-fiction; work that crosses these genres and also writers who have made their reputation in one field and wish to develop in another. To be eligible for consideration, writers must have published (not self-published) at least one book in their field.

http://covepark.org/apply-or-book

Cove Park exists to provide artists with time, space and freedom to undertake significant research, develop their practice and ideas and produce new work or new ways of working. You will be joining a dynamic community of up to ten artists across all the artforms in Cove Park's unique interdisciplinary setting.  Residents live in Cove Park's self catering cubes, with spectacular views over sea loch and mountains and you receive a weekly fee to defray living costs.

For more information about Cove Park, go to www.covepark.org or contact Polly Clark on 01436 850123 or email polly.clark@covepark.org.

Your Horse - thank you!

Thanks to the lovely people at Your Horse magazine for kindly posting info about my Matty books on their website.  See link below:

http://www.yourhorse.co.uk/Your-Horse-News/Search-Results/General-news/Dec-12/10-Dec-Kindle-Horse-Stories-for-Redwings/

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/matty-horse-and-pony-adventures-on.html

Call for writers to be heard

I just came across this, which may be of interest to other writers.....I've already registered and may complete the survey.

Call for Writers

http://www.katepullinger.com/blog/comments/the-writing-platform-press-release/

The Writing Platform, a free online resource and programme of live events, will launch in February 2013 to equip writers and poets with digital news, information and expertise.The website, which will be edited by writer Kate Pullinger and managed by The Literary Platform, will act as an authoritative resource about writing in the digital age for those at any stage of publishing.

The Writing Platform team is keen to hear from writers interested in contributing to the site and in informing the content they would like to see on The Writing Platform. 

A survey of writers experiences in the digital world will be running until the launch. To register your interest in contributing, please email hello@thewritingplatform.com and complete the survey here.

The Very Inspiring Blog Award

I just want to thank Anushka at http://findingmycreature.wordpress.com for nominating me for The Very Inspiring Blog Award. I'm well chuffed!  Do check out her excellent blog.  I hope I've done the next bit of the process correctly - I'm an award virgin so please forgive me if I mess it up!

SEVEN THINGS I HAVE NOT SHARED ON HERE BEFORE 

7 random facts about me

1. As a child, my first ambition was to be a mounted policewoman.   Then a psychiatric nurse. Then a missionary.  By the time I was 12 I decided I should probably become a writer.

2. I love watching The Big Bang Theory. I discovered it when I was ill in bed and got through the whole boxed set of series 1 and 2.  It definitely helped me through it.

3. Although I am a hopeless cook, I can make a mean banana smoothie and a tasty banana cake.

4. I used to teach pole dance.  Loved it.  My body doesn’t though, so I sold my pole on e-bay. :(

5. In my forties, I became obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer – it was my favourite TV show

6. I have marked OCD tendencies which I do my best to hide…

7. I’m a nervous traveller but one of the most beautiful places I have visited is Iceland.  The landscapes are spectacular. 

I have nominated the following for their continued inspiration and to thank you all for generously sharing your wisdom and knowledge.  Please check out these wonderful blogs!

http://joannegphillips.wordpress.com/

http://the-view-outside.com/

http://chantelc.com/

http://www.inspirationalridingsolutions.com/blog

http://annalisacrawford.blogspot.co.uk/

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

http://www.30daybooks.com/

http://www.livewritethrive.com

http://janefriedman.com/

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/

http://tahlianewland.com/

http://equestrianink.blogspot.co.uk/

http://booksandmud.blogspot.co.uk/

http://patsy-collins.blogspot.co.uk/

http://ponymadbooklovers.blogspot.co.uk/

Below are the rules for the Very Inspiring Blog Award so please follow carefully: 

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

Blogger Awards!

I have just been nominated for TWO blogger awards!  Am rather overwhelmed.  Thank you so much to Anushka at the wonderful Finding my Creature http://findingmycreature.wordpress.com for nominating me for a Very Inspiring Blog Award.


And to the lovely Vikki at http://the-view-outside.com/ for nominating me for a Liebster Award.

This is the first time I have been nominated so I am most grateful!  THANK YOU :)

For the journey

Today I'm over at Creatabot again.  I love writing posts for this excellent e-zine.

Here's a taste...

So many great stories are about literal or spiritual journeys, in which the protagonist is changed by the process, whether she has experienced incredible dramatic adventures or pursued more reflective contemplation.  Journeys seem to be a recurrent theme in my writing.  More than 20 years ago, the first novel I had published, Wild Horse Island, was about a horse taken from.....

Click here to read the full article
http://creatabot.co.uk/2012/12/09/for-the-journey-by-jane-ayres/

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

So now Amazon e-books are also available in Brazil and Canada!  Publishing is certainly a dynamic industry - I wonder what 2013 will bring?

I also heard about the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award which will interest lots of writers. The link is 

http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011

In a nutshell, it's an "incredible opportunity to win a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing. Now in its sixth year, this international contest promises to be the best yet. 

One Grand Prize winner will receive a publishing contract with an advance of $50,000, and four First Prize winners will each receive a publishing contract with an advance of $15,000. 

We’ve expanded the categories to include five popular genres: General Fiction, Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror and Young Adult Fiction."

Entries must be submitted between January 14, 2013 and January 27, 2013. The contest is limited to 10,000 entries, and they will stop accepting entries after they have received 10,000.  

Wow!  So for everyone who successfully completed Nanowrimo, this is a fantastic opportunity to edit those 50,000 words and push them even further. 

This gives me an incentive for completing Nano in 2013! 

Inspiration for Coming Home: Norwegian Forest Cats Steve and Sita

My novel Coming Home was inspired by two amazing, intelligent and very special Norwegian Forest cats, Sita and Steve.  A brown tabby, Steve is expressive, knowing and highly sensitive - sometimes bold, sometimes timid, sometimes laid-back, with an impressive memory and an extremely loving nature. And he is a very large cat.

And here is Steve cuddled up with his half-sister Sita, a silver grey tabby.  Sita is gentle, incredibly affectionate and very maternal. They adore each other.  And they are both adored.

Related post: http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/coming-home-my-new-book-for-cat-lovers.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/cats-and-book-reviews.html

Typo horror!

I have just discovered to my horror, after 6 proof reads, in several formats, that 3 typos have slipped through onto the first few pages of Coming Home! Arrrgh!!! I have just corrected these and re-uploaded to Amazon. Many apologies to the 5 readers who have already bought the book. I check until my eyes hurt and for me, even one typo, be it an extraneous full stop, sticks out like a beacon in the sea of words.  Maybe I need to ask someone else to do a final proof!

As a reader, I am very intolerant of typos so, dear readers, please accept my profuse apologies. 

Coming Home - my new book for cat lovers!

Two lost cats

A heartbroken girl

A dangerous journey

I'm really excited that my novel, Coming Home, is now available as an e-book on Amazon.    This is the first time the book has been available in the English language. 
Previously it was published in paperback, but translated into Norwegian and Swedish and only available in Norway and Sweden!  The kindle cover has been designed by Klaus Hartleben and I am thrilled with his artwork. 

I adore cats, and I'm donating all my author royalties from Coming Home to Cats Protection,  registered charity number 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland). Cats Protection is the UK's leading feline welfare charity and over the past five years they have helped around one million cats.  They do amazing work and I am keen to support them. 

The book is available from Amazon in the UK, USA, India, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and France. 

Click on the links below to find out more:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AGZV9WM

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AGZV9WM

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00AGZV9WM

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00AGZV9WM

https://www.amazon.es/dp/B00AGZV9WM

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B00AGZV9WM

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00AGZV9WM

STOP PRESS - now available in Canada and Brazil!

Related posts: 
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/inspiration-for-coming-home-norwegian.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/cats-and-book-reviews.html

Also see
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/matty-horse-and-pony-adventures-on.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/running-cats-and-writers-block.html