Judging, Chocolates and Flamingos

Does everyone else have just manic days or is it just me?

Last year, I was extremely proud of the members of Inspirations Writers Group, when I submitted on their behalf, and they won, the National Denise Robertson Anthology Award for their anthology Green.

This year I'm not having quite the same feelings.  As winners, the lucky group, is expected to judge the 2022 anthology competition and we are hard at it. Thankfully, there aren't too many, and several members have stepped up to the plate, but the ferrying of books back and forth, recording of who has what and when, plus the reading itself, has got me thinking if I don't read another anthology for a year or two, that'll be fine.

Speaking of Inspirations, the group is going through quite an upheaval at the moment, but on the good side, we do suddenly have several new interested people. If you're likewise interested we are back in Westgate Library, on the 4th Saturday of every month from 10.30 to 12.30. I won't be there in April, but I'm back in May. Come along and see if it's what you're after. There's no price for dropping in.

On the Chicken Wizard front, due to having a few days off over Easter, I sent the outline of the book off to my first literary agent in decades. Six weeks is the going length of time to wait, so you may know the outcome my by next blog.

Witch on the Warpath, the improved version, is in production and should be with me shortly. This is good because I've several big events coming up and I'm down to 37 books in total which won't last long.  Speaking of which the trilogy covers have been redesigned to fit together as a pack now and will look much better on the shelves - once the previous print run is sold out.

My first event of the year is on this Saturday 16th April. I'm at the Alexander Centre in Faversham if you feel like dropping by, they have loads of great craft stalls. I should know I've purchased something from almost everyone, and if the chocolatier people are there - Yum.

The 30th of April and 1st May I'm delighted to be involved with the Birchington Literary Festival.  My books and Inspirations should be for sale there. I'm running a Writing Master Class on character Building and several other sessions too. Sadly, Faye Beerling backed out of the interview. It'll just be me doing a question-and-answer session with the public.
Check it out. 

On the personal front.
It's my mother's 91st birthday today and this afternoon I'm off to visit her in her Care Home nearby. Its difficult buying a pressie when someone has dementia, apart for the fact she won't remember it (that's fine), the chocolates we bought her for Easter are still in her drawer.
The clothes that we buy are usually on someone else, despite having her name in them. I've even found men's Y-fronts in her wardrobe and I'm assuming she's not up to hanky-panky. She has so many stuffed toys the windowsill is full, and others are taken by wanderers. Likewise, anything we buy her.
This year I've come up with a plan, she loves flamingos. Yes, I think that fluffy toy I bought vanished too. I've discovered some pink flamingos that you stick to glass. I'm planning to decorate the windows and mirror and hopefully the wanderers won't figure out they come off.
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Until next time.

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