Monthly Archives: July 2016

Writing Prompt: The Stormy Sky

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” A storm destroys your uncle’s shed and kills his 6 year old son. Describe the colour of the sky right before the storm hit”.

Following on from my short piece I wrote on an envelope to this prompt while sat on the top deck of the bus today, I blogged about that here.  Here is what I actually wrote on the back of the envelope!

The storm had been brewing for days before  it came; that furious storm  destroyed everything in its path. Including my uncle’s shed killing my 6 year old cousin.

I could feel it mounting, the air had been thick, muggy and humid. It felt dense. Just from this I knew it  had to rain sometime soon to reduce the humidity.

That  afternoon (of the storm) I looked out at the sky from the attic window, I was upstairs organising and sorting out old clothing,  I heard it the loud crack of thunder rumbled across the sky. The sky was  patchy with grey/black clouds in some areas like the colour of  grey granite stone. The patches merged with the lighter dove grey/blue clouds. Strangely there was a crack of light in middle the sky, it looked almost like someone up there behind the clouds was shining  a flashlight down on earth… God may be? As I squinted my eyes straining to look at the small crack of light between the granite and grey/blue coloured sky, a zig zag of lightening broke out and lit up the heavens. The whole sky went from patchy shades pf granite and grey/blue to a dull yellow shade , just for a split second. A second later there was another loud rumble of thunder.One more zig zag of dull yellow lightening broke out across the sky,  then heavens opened with heavy  rain.

Before my eyes, I witnessed the dark granite grey clouds swallow up the light dove grey/blue clouds, the sky shifted to a new shade of onyx black.  It was like god had switched off his flash light on us. The clouds looked like peaks of coal, bunched up together in small onyx black patches.

The heavy rain beat down on the window drowning out my view, all I could see was darkness,  and hear  the loud  rumble of thunder, the wind howled and violently rocked the window pain.  God, had lost his temper up there I could tell.

Word Prompt Response: I Can See Through You

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Glass

I can see through you and the bravado, just like Alice could see through her looking glass

Your walk, your stance and all your cheap talk,   like a sheep in wolf’s clothing really you’re made of cheap glass,

 I know you  thought you had me under some kind of trance, rooted to you, dependent on you ; have you reflected on how little you actually knew?

You think you’re hard, tough and titanium, really you’re just like glass

You  shatter under  pressure into a million pieces you’re full of cracks

Where we are , in this very here and now  you probably thought I’d be the one to crack maybe I’d even come running back?

Beautiful man I’m the survivor, beautiful man I’m the titanium

I won’t ever crack,  because I can’t crack , I’m made of stronger stuff than glass

That is why you’re  now firmly a thing of the past.

 

 

Reflection #4: Ideas and Nerves!

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WP_20160709_001

Today’s reflection was originally wrote on  the back of an envelope of a card I received this week, while sat  on the top deck of the #12 bus from Trafalgar Square (central London) heading home. You can see the original on the right hand side above, my scribbles are hardly readable even to myself, as the bus ride was not the smoothest! Anyway, I thought I’d blog the reflection this evening.To the left the other blue envelope is a response to a writing prompt (from the book I picked up today which you can also see in the picture).  I got creative and responded to a prompt on my journey home on the bus.

Dear ”Diary”,

I feel a real mixture of emotions today don’t get me wrong it has been a good day, I went to book club to meet up with my fellow book worm buddy’s to discus the books read over the last month ( sadly  I never got to finish reading this month’s books due to working on my own manuscript I finally submitted 33 days early!). Anyway, I had those giddy feelings as I walked into Waterstones again ( the UK’s largest/major book store chain) knowing that in just 2 months I’d have my very own book in a store/ published. It was a quiet afternoon at Waterstones in central London today, not much of a crowd in -store. Maybe as the weather in London today  was nice this morning.

While looking around Paperchase for a birthday card  mum, I treated myself to a book ” 642 thinks to write about” a thick book with writing prompts in. I’m super excited! I think I need to slow down with how many of these books I buy, I already have one with 365 prompts.

Today, I also received some very positive feedback from a good friend of mine who read my sample chapters, the one thing I’m paranoid about in my writing ( typos) she spotted! But that happens when you’re up writing at 3am; according to her apparently it did not spoil my story or take way anything from it. She said ( about the chapters she read) ” it’s a good introduction”, ” I was gripped right from the beginning ” and ” I would like to read more” now if you know my friend I’ll call her Ms X she’s a hardcore critic when it comes to writing! Probably as she’s a writer herself and is writing her own book which I can’t wait to read. To hear this feedback from Ms X really helped to boost my confidence and reduce a little bit of my nerves around my first novel she ” liked Kate and could identify with her” ( my heroine) and she ” hated Danny” ( one of the heros) which is exactly how I want readers to feel while reading, I intended for my characters to come across like this.

I gave myself a pat on the back after hearing this, I did kick myself for the minor typos and said ” Oh no I’ll go back and edit some more” the girls at book club looked at me like I’d grown a 2nd head or something all shouted ” NO” ” leave it so readers can see the progress” ” it’s with your editor now spotting typos is their job”. As tempting as it is to go back I won’t I’ll focus on the next idea I’m creating instead.

*Kim looks out the window* London can be so pretty I’m just going over Westminster Bridge( a land mark I used in my book) it’s packed with tourists with selfie sticks trying to take a snap with Big Ben in the background, tour groups walking along . ( Here I ran out of envelope to write on :D)

In a nutshell, today on reflection from hearing some positive feedback I’m a LITTLE less nervous about unleashing my work to the world to read, I have to get used to it it’s too late now it’s with the publisher no going back or changing anything major at this point. I am also feeling extremely creative there are some excite writing prompts in my book, I can’t wait to get stuck in and practice improving my skills.

 

My Interview with Knockin’ Books!

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A few months back, I did a guest blog/ interview with Knockin’ Books over in the USA. It was fun to share my experience on how I went about snapping up a publishing deal, from a traditional publisher to help contribute to this month’s news letter on traditional publishing. They’ve published the interview on their website and Facebook page, it can be viewed here.

 

Darkness & My Disappointment: Daily Writing Prompt

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Darkness

hands up

My response to today’s WordPress word prompt is based on what’s going on, what I heard about and read in the news today  miles away from me.

 

I feel disappointed again today, I feel like there is sadness all around me again today;

I turned on the news today, I heard it again today, one man down again today;

I’m a million miles away from where all this takes place but  this does not make it OK;

I still care, I still grieve, I still fume and I still rage;

 Mad with the system; mad with the ignorance; mad with the stereotypes  that surround  His  darkness;

I feel like the rap group NWA today ,”f*ck the police” was the message they once had to say;

Why  and how could they say that you ask?  We are ”the land of the free” we are here to ” serve and protect thee”;

 Hummm mate,  I really don’t think so, you don’t get it do you? You don’t care; 

You’ve shown me and the world you don’t care with your guns and violence against the darkness, his darkness;

Your statistics tell me and show me you don’t care even though I am all the way across the Atlantic over here;

In your land He is  treated like prey all because of his darkness, the beautiful darkness of his skin;

My son,  as he grows from a boy into a man would he be safe all the way over there?

Could  and should I allow him to go there, trust that he can roam freely and safely  there?

To you  his  darkness and He will  always be public enemy number 1;

Don’t deny it you’re too quick to raise your gun! Shoot now think and ask questions later;

He and his darkness  are nothing to fear; but this is something you’re clearly not trying to hear;

To me  all this sounds like no fun,  just think before you pick up that GUN!;

Guns

 

 

 

Magazine Publication: Beauty Review

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Yes! Make -up, beauty and fashion are the other areas  I ‘m passionate about  and  write about for Love Life Live Magazine here in London. Love Life Live Magazine is a wonderful online magazine, with a focus on everything from health, travel, dating, entertainment, food, books  and lifestyle.

Readers in Europe will have heard of the store I’ve referenced where these beauty products can be snapped up. This article features low cost but REALLY good skin, hair , nail and make-up products I’ve tried and loved myself. The whole point is to look and feel good on a budget. If you’d like to know what they are then just head to Life Love Live Magazine here.

Enjoy ladies!

Reflection #3: Path to Success

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Success

What a day, some people work a life time for their dreams to come true and ”die trying’(as 50 Cent the rapper would have us believe). I’ve always believed in the power of the universe, and where there’s a will there’s most certainly a way be positive and work hard. Today I received news that I will have a second book published this year, just 3 months after my 1st!  The book synopsis and sample chapters I  sent over to my publisher have been accepted! My reaction was the same as the first time I opened an email with this news and a contact laid out in front of me, I lost my dam mind! Then  screamed down the phone to my mama. The feeling was no different the second time around, I’ m just as nervous  also.

 Novel #1 has been submitted to the publisher so I’m writing #2 right now, it’s within the romance genre again,  with a Christmas release date. A short novella story. And YES I will get around to finishing my first ever book I started to write a gritty crime fiction story set in London and Amsterdam, the pause was due to life, answering a publisher’s call with my romance /suspense idea, and the fact that I  need to research police procedures in the UK before I felt comfortable moving on with the plot. Good news is 2 of my closest girlfriends can help, they are both qualified solicitors in criminal law, (lawyer if you’re an American reader) so I hope to pick their brains, and finish up that baby.

As I reflect, I think about what I’ve learned when it comes to fiction writing sold for commercial reasons rather than to keep to yourself, the first 3 chapters have GOT to make a reader care about the characters or forget it, who would want to read further if they don’t? Or even offer you a publishing deal. Where possible research, research, research ! And become the characters, really portray what they think and feel so they are almost 3D. If a scene does not add to the progress of the story-remove it

So I’m about to go into a few months of labour again- that’s the best way I describe writing  a novel at times 🙂  slow and steady  painful in places … but I’m ganna get busy and crack this  idea kicking around in my head, and get down on paper in full and give birth to it for the whole world to read. Well romance fiction  lovers at least.

Just a short reflection from me on what I’m learning and to share the news about what’s coming up!

”Dream big, work hard, it might just happen”