Happy Easter!

I'm not really religious. In fact, I'm an atheist that sometimes says 'Please God'. Then I change it to 'Universe!' Ha ha! (Because I remember I don't really believe in God and I don't much like religion as it causes war.)

Anyway, like Christmas, it's a great excuse to eat chocolate. 

So whether you celebrate Easter or not, I would like to wish all my readers, blog followers, family and friends a very Happy Easter. 

Enjoy the long weekend if your work allows you to. (I know I have some friends that will not really benefit from it being a long weekend.) 

Much love, Teresa x 

p.s. what's your favourite Easter Egg? I think I could eat mini eggs until I popped.

The Positives Of Lockdown

We're in week 4 of lockdown now. This will start to become testing times for even those who have been okay with the isolation and social distancing.

It must be much harder on those who live alone. At least I have two boys and a budgie to chatter to.





And I am fortunate to be able to go to work, so at the end of a week of staying home, and only leaving my house to exercise, I do see civilisation. (I use that word loosely because some of our customers are far from civilised, and I wish they would treat retail workers with a lot more respect, but that is another blog post!)

As I writer, I'm also far from bored staying home. I can either write or read. In fact, I made a list of things I want to do, but really, I should be writing! So, I'm not sure if lockdown is giving me more time or not really.

The one true positive about this is that I do have time to cook. I enjoy cooking meals from scratch. I'm no longer trying to get one boy to football, or the other to hockey/athletics. Therefore, I can start tea when I'm ready, and if we have it at 5.30pm, 6.00pm or a bit later, it really doesn't matter.

And the boys have been involved in baking - now we have flour!









We're also getting to spend more time in the evenings together, so I've got more quality time with my boys. The only downside is we can't go on a day trip to our favourite places. But I do make us go for a walk, and we get to chat to each other while exercising, and discovering the local footpaths around our house that we wouldn't normally walk.

The Easter holidays were challenging. Finding things to do in the garden and to stretch them out, so I could get them off the PlayStation for a bit each day got trickier.

Next week it's back to the home-schooling schedule, so they'll have academic work to keep them off their screens. And I should be able to get back to the writing.

Do you have any positives to take from the lock down? If so, I'd love to hear them.

Stay safe, stay home. Please remember to minimise your visits to shops - for essentials! Plan what you need to buy. This is not a time to browse.

Also remember, reading romance is wonderful, uplifting escapism.

Teresa x x x

A Date With Dad

Today, Easter Sunday, I had a date with my dad.

I think secretly he likes that I am single again, because he has his daughter back all to himself. (Not that he would actually admit it.)

If I win the lottery, I have to buy this for Dad.

There was a classic car meet up over this weekend, and today Dad took his truck along. He'd gone along yesterday and seen a similar truck, and the owner had convinced him to bring his along today. I drove down too, and left my car parked up the other end of town so that we didn't have to stay in town all day - I had stuff to do! Fence panels to paint! And writing... which I'll do some more in a minute.

My dad has always had cars. Cars that he's cleaned up to sell, and cars to drive for pleasure. I've even had to give him a lift to collect these cars from time to time - that's the reason he was keen for me to pass my test at 17!

And with these cars, we've often gone along to similar things like today, classic American car shows etc. It's been more me, than my brother, actually. We used to go to the Guildford cruise, Chelsea cruise... even drove the London to Brighton Mini Run a couple of years on the trot - in (original) Minis of course.

We went for a long walk and had a coffee. Then, we came home, had lunch and he helped me paint my fence panels in the garden before I dropped him back off in town to collect his truck. What a dad! We got all of them done, except one, which I'll try to do tomorrow afternoon.

I've come to realise the reason I may be hard work for some men is that my dad has probably spoilt me. Not in buying me everything I've wanted type spoilt. If I've asked him to help me, he usually has, and he usually does it pretty quickly too. I don't have to wait years for something to get fixed. In fact, now I'm in my own house, he'll usually come over while I'm at work and attend my garden, or put up the shelf I wanted etc. It is done.

And that's my dad, he just didn't realise he was in this one!

My dad is reliable. He's a hard act to follow. And my partners - unknowingly - have a hard time keeping up with his pace, especially when they let me down.

I really don't know where I'd be without my dad sometimes. x x x



As you can see I've attached some photos of the cars we saw today. Some of Dad's favourites.

Dad's truck, in the sunshine. 

Easter Holiday Antics

Does anyone else get that sinking feeling of too much to do and too little time to do it in?

This morning I felt like that as I rushed to school on our first school run of the new term, worrying about events rapidly approaching - i.e. our holiday at the end of May - and I still haven't finished editing my second book.

Yes, I know I should be doing it now, but I'd also noticed I'd been neglecting my blog. The Easter holidays have taken its toll. But with the kids back to school today, I thought I'd share what we've been up to - very quickly!

We did 'Three Beaches in One Day': Seaton, Beer and Branscombe.

Beer, South Devon

We visited the Magical World of Harry Potter - Warner Studios in Watford.

The Night Bus...although we arrived by car

Sipping Butter Beer

And yesterday, as it was an inset day, we went to Slimbridge, where we saw a pair of Moorhens making a nest;



... a robin taking a bath in a pond and lots and lots of baby birds. Slimbridge in spring is awesome.

In other news: My book, Plus One is a Lucky Number comes out in paper on 8th May! Whoop! And panic!

Good Friday

Happy Easter!

Friday is always a good feeling, isn't it? The end of the working week, the beginning of the weekend. Well, it is if you don't work the weekend (like I will be).

I thought I'd give you a round up for the week. Not much writing has been achieved during the day, as the kids are off, and I've got to entertain them. Plus, even on occasions when they're playing nicely, I just can't sneak off and start writing as I know if they come to me, I get really stressed, and start getting cross with them - because I want to be writing and don't want interruptions. Which is hardly fair on them. So I've been saving the writing until the evenings, but I have managed to get some reading of The Wedding Favour done and fixed the edits that I see. I'm aiming at four chapters a day, and I've got the last three left now. I suppose then I have to start looking at the synopsis, etc. Argggh!

Lunch on Sandford Station

I did enter The Wedding Favour into the Novelicious competition, so may have to hold off sending it to publishers until the 24th April now. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not, having to wait longer, but then, you never know, it might come somewhere in this competition and it would have been worth the wait. We will see. Fingers crossed, please!

As you can see by the word count, I'm 50% through Perfect Isn't An Option - so I've been getting some writing done in the evenings! I'm not sure it will actually make 80,000 words but I need to set up a time line, so that I don't get muddled with what happened when. It's more for Ruby and Steve when they were younger, and his filmography. And also, it takes place over 2-3 months, so I need to keep track of everything in relation to running up to Christmas.

The troublesome trucks at Sandford Station

Over the Easter Holidays, the kids and I have so far had a 14.5 mile cycle ride along the Strawberry Line - Yatton to Winscombe - with Grandad Ron (Monday), watched Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, made rice crispy cakes, (Wednesday) and with the weather changing, even played the odd board game (Yesterday - it was too cold to venture out, plus it means I end up spending money). Today, their dad should be taking them to the cinema to see the new Pirates movie, meaning I'll get my run in and hopefully some writing done.

Last night, I watched Limitless with Bradley Cooper. He starts off looking like a drug addict and a tramp, but soon sharpens up his image. With him on screen 99% of the time, I was in Bradley Cooper heaven. Well worth a watch - just for his blue eyes.

Happy Easter everyone!

Kids Holidays = No WRA

The last time I blogged was Friday!

Easter holidays are taking their toll, as I haven't had the time to sit here much, especially as in the evenings I've tried to knuckle down with the editing of The Wedding Favour, rather than procrastinate! I'll be getting to some parts that I know need some rework soon, but for the moment, as I work my way through, I'm trying to tighten it up, make notes of things mentioned, so I can remove repetition. I've removed 1000 words so far. But I don't think I'm being brave enough really, and hacking at it as I should be. But I suppose that side of my writing confidence can only come with time. I'm trying to do it off my own back though and not rely too much on my writing friends, as I appreciate I do need to learn. 

So, the reasons for lack of WRA: Yesterday we went to Slimbridge, and as hoped, we did get to see baby chicks! Never managed to get a photograph of the ducklings (too quick and too small), but there were some really young birds there this time of the year. So cute, so small!

And this is the boys feeding the last of their corn to the swans. It is rather wonderful to be able to walk amongst these birds, and generally they are not fazed. You know when a swan is getting moody, and to scarper! Ben had even managed to feed a pigeon from his hand.

So as you can see, I'm busy entertaining the kids, and not doing much writing. Last night, after having a wonderful massage, I decided not to ruin it by slogging away at the PC and read instead. Today I have a lazy day planned, so if while the kids play nicely (ha! arguments always kick off when I decide to disappear) I might get an hour in. We will see. 

*WRA = Writing Related Activities