Goodbye 2021

As the year comes to a close, I thought I would reflect a little. 2021 hasn't been all bad, (thanks to journaling my 3 positives a day) although it does feel like it amalgamated with 2020 a bit. I am so done with Covid! I really hope we do see the back of it in 2022! 

Mistletoe At The Manor has remained in the top 500 in the UK Amazon charts for a month! I can't believe this. It's been No 1 in Inspirational Religious Fiction (only because it's set at Christmas lol!) and as I type this, it's No 2 in British and Irish Humour and Satire Fiction - which is a little more my category! This is a great way to end the year with my writing career. 

I do have edits for my third novel (due summer 2022) which I will look at next week. But I have really taken the last two weeks off. It's been hard to concentrate with the kids home and getting ready for Christmas, from cake decorating, mince pie making and present wrapping! 

One of my best friends bought me a Jane Austen puzzle for Christmas, and I have spent time finishing this. Something I'm not very good at doing is taking time to do nothing - without feeling guilty about it. Christmas feels like the only time I can justify stopping everything and doing a puzzle. So I did! 

With my UW business, it came to a halt with not many people wanting to take a look at their bills with Christmas approaching - completely understandable! But in 2022, I really want to help more people save money on their bills. There are more price increases coming, and the cost of living is just going up and up. With this in mind, I'd also love to help people make some extra cash like I do. £250-500 extra a month to most people will make a huge difference to their everyday lives. I know it does with me. 2022 we have a holiday in Corfu to look forward to, and I wouldn't have been able to book this without my UW business income. 

But UW hasn't just given me a financial benefit. It has taken me on a path of personal development no other organisation I've worked with has even thought to give me. I want to grow and develop and be a better version of myself in 2022. And I hope that will make me a better person to support the people closest to me. 

Also, if I want to get another book out there, I need to start writing properly again, so I'm setting myself a word target for each week of 2000 words. 

I'm not really one for New Year Resolutions, and if anything, I've learnt it's best to set goals. Do you set goals? If so, what are they? 

Another of my goals is to find a part-time job as I really need to get out of the Post Office!

On that note, Happy New Year, everyone. I hope 2022 brings you happiness and health, because these two things are what makes real wealth. 

Xxxx 

My Latest Newsletter Is Out!

 My latest newsletter is out! Have you subscribed? 

Well here it is if you'd like to read it! 

Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year! 

Keep reading, and writing. Much love, Teresa x 

Happy 17th Birthday, Ben!

Oh, Lordy! Where does the time go? I'm pretty sure the years speed up as soon as you have kids! 

I can still picture my son as he was laid on my tummy after I'd given birth to him for that early bonding. Labour had been a tiny bit traumatic. But being a new mother, I was shocked that he had his eyes open. Bright, blue eyes stared at me (not that he could probably see me much.) 

And now I have this 17-year-old! (I know, I don't look old enough to own a 17-year-old!)

He will always be a blessing. After suffering an ectopic pregnancy at the age of 29, and losing a fallopian tube, I really didn't think I would get pregnant again. I was in a very dark place for a while. So when Ben was born I considered myself incredibly lucky. 

I remember (he won't as he was barely a day old) that I did tell him when we were on our own, I would do my best as a mother, and that whatever life threw at us, we'd handle it. (I was incredibly nervous as a new mother and knowing my patience wasn't the best, I was worried I'd be terrible at parenting.)

Ben has continued at the pace that he entered the Earth, by taking his sweet-arsed time with things - which can be frustrating! He's a little away with the fairies and dis-organised, (compared to Kieran!) and then he can surprise you by being super organised with some random thing!

But he does help with the dinner, and odd jobs around the house, and he's achieved excellent exam results, which means he's able to study towards becoming a civil engineer. I just wish he'd remember to turn off the lights as he leaves a room and tidy his bedroom. Oh, and remember to shut cupboard doors! 

He does have a great sense of humour, and doesn't suffer fools lightly. His laidback, chilled persona, and the fact he's not too worried about what other people think, should help with not taking things too seriously, and not get too stressed in life, as well as not suffering with peer pressure. He has always been sensible, and used to get quite annoyed as a child when rules weren't stuck to! 

Happy 17th, Ben! Love you more than you can imagine, Mum x x x 

This will always be one of my favourite photos! 

Publication Day for Mistletoe At The Manor

Mistletoe At The Manor is out today! 

It is the second novel in my Kittiwake Cove series, and is my first official Christmas novel. You can order from here!

A heart-warming Christmas romance set in Cornwall! Perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Victoria Walters, Heidi Swain and Phillipa Ashley…

Can Beth learn to open her heart this Christmas…?

Between setting up her boutique and raising her six-year-old son, single mum Beth Sterling has little time for romance.

Keen to expand her clientele, Beth moves her business into a cosy converted stable on the scenic Trenouth Estate.

However, her focus soon wavers when she meets Tristan Trenouth, the handsome but aloof owner of the estate. Each wilful and outspoken, Beth and Tristan are soon clashing whenever they cross paths.

With the estate’s charity ball and Christmas fayre on the horizon, the two grudgingly put their differences aside and agree to work together. And as they spend more and more time in each other’s company, their uneasy truce blossoms into a strong mutual attraction.

But with a young son, a fledgling business and a painful past to contend with, Beth needs someone she can rely on. And Tristan has demons of his own to face…

Can Beth get her boutique up and running in time for Christmas? Will she and Tristan find happiness together?

Or will the shadows of the past drive them apart…?

MISTLETOE AT THE MANOR is a contemporary festive read you won’t be able to put down. Get lost among the snowy hills of Cornwall in this glittering Christmas romance, perfect for cosy winter nights.

The Top Five Festive Books by Elizabeth Shields

 

The Top Five Festive Books

This blog post was written by Elizabeth Shields 

 

Christmas is a great time to unwind and relax with a good read.   Books centred around the festivities are perfect winter reading material, and there’s plenty to choose from this year.  In this blog, we showcase the top Five Festive Books to warm your heart and soul this Holiday Time.  We’ve also got some tips about getting your reading space cosy and welcoming ready for your Festive Book Fest. 

 

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl (2021)

 

Dave Grohl’s zest for life is clear within the pages of his recently published autobiography.  As the legendary drummer for Nirvana, and now front-man to the Foo Fighter’s Grohl has over 35-years’ experience in the music industry.

In the Storyteller, Grohl takes the reader on a journey through some of the many adventures along the way, charting what it was like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, with dreams of making it big as a musician.  The book deals with the pain and grief Grohl felt at the death of his friend and bandmate, Kurt Cobain.  There’s also plenty of positivity, too, as Grohl shares his upbeat and relentless urge to create music.  Grohl manages to intertwine accounts of jamming with Iggy Pop, dancing with AC/DC meeting Sir Paul McCartney and a chance meeting with Little Richard.  Somehow, despite his celebrity status and connections, Grohl remains grounded.  His self-deprecating drawl is clear throughout the book, making this a great read for hunkering down with this Winter. 

 

Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings by Tanya Kirk (Oct 2018)

 

If you’re after a classic Seasonal Ghost story, this book won’t disappoint.   A compendium of classic spooky tales from the 1850s to the 1960s, this collection will send a shiver down your spine.  Seasonal festivities contrast with the eerie and the sinister, as you read of ghouls, hauntings and mysterious happenings. You’ll be glad of the warmth of a cozy home, and a hot drink to accompany your book as you read this collection.

 

Mistletoe at the Manor by Teresa F. Morgan (Nov 2021)

If you are after something heart-warming this Christmas, choose Mistletoe at the Manor. Set in the glorious scenic Cornwall, this romance follows single mum and entrepreneur, Beth Sterling, in her quest to get her business off the ground.  Beth has little time or headspace for romance and her headstrong clashes with owner of the Country Manor, Tristan Trenouth, don’t exactly melt Beth’s heart. 

Both Beth and Tristan have their demons and shadows to face. Yet, it’s clear that their uneasy truce has the potential to blossom into a strong mutual attraction:  if they can manage to find a way to allow the ice to thaw.

This romance is perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Victoria Walters, Heidi Swain and Phillipa Ashley.  With the action centred around plans for a Christmas Ball and Christmas Fayre at the Manor, there’s plenty of seasonal cheer to delight your senses.  A must read for a relaxing Christmas. 

 

Celebrating the Seasons with the Yorkshire Shepherdess: Farming, Family and Delicious Recipes to Share by Amanda Owen (Oct 2021)

 

This book combines funny and charming stories from Yorkshire shepherdess, Amanda Owen, with seasonal, tried and tested recipes that keep Amanda’s nine-children coming back for second helpings.

Amanda is a bestselling author and star of TV’s Our Yorkshire Farm.  This book features breath-taking photos from the famous Swaledale landscape that Amanda helps farm, with its wild moors and rare wildflowers.  She writes with a simple elegance and respect for nature as she describes the challenges and highlights of caring for her flock of sheep, and tending to the working farm.  There’s a real sense of warmth and humour as Amanda walks you through the difference seasons on the Farm and with the family. 

Taking a gentle journey through the seasons, this book is a beautiful coffee-table keepsake this Christmas, inspiring you and your imagination to escape to Yorkshire. 

 

Christmas Stories: Heartwarming Classics of Angels, a Manger, and the Birth of Hope  by Max Lucado (Oct 2021)

This giftable collection of Christmas stories offer yuletide hope and warmth, inviting the reader to pause a while and ponder. Beloved storyteller, Max Lucado, combines the traditional Christmas story with modern day characters and dilemmas, to explore the mystery of Christmas. Take time to consider the meaning of Hope in your own life as you turn the pages of this elegant book. 

Perfect for slowing down and taking time to rest and reflect, Christmas Stories, point to Hope in what – sometimes – feels like a dark, cold world. 

 

A Cozy Christmas Reading Space

So – with Five Festive Books to choose from, you’ll want to find ways to feel cosy and comfy as you snuggle down to read.  As well as choosing the right books this Christmas, consider your own reading space.  Whether that’s a small nook you can retreat to in the corner of your bedroom, or a luxurious sofa and elegant bookcase, make the space warm, clean and inviting.  Have a soft textured blanket to hand and keep your reading space clutter free to maximise relaxation. You can organize your books in a way that suits you:  whether that’s by author surname, subject matter or even grouping books by colour.  Besides this, make sure your bookshelf is clean and organized for a better reading experience.

With the perfect books, and a cosy space, you can find your own slice of Christmas Reading Heaven this Holiday.