30 Day Blog Challenge Day 15: New Year Celebrations

For me , 2014 started off with me reading Fifty Shades of Grey, and being really excited and still on a high from having written the first draft of Spellbrooke, my first novel in November 2013. That was closely followed by Return to Spellbrooke: A Winter Curse (the second instalment of The Spellbrooke Trilogy) in April, and then in July I decided to write the first draft of my young adult novel The Secret Dreamworld of a Disabled Shopaholic. Also in April,I participated in Dewey's Readathon . In October I participated in that again. And in November, I wrote the final instalment of The Spellbrooke Trilogy. I hope that the first one can be published in 2015. I'll keep you posted about that.
This year has been difficult from the point of view of the ongoing personal saga Alfredo and I have of trying to find a suitable place to live, and also saving up for my new electric wheelchair. We have, and do often feel really demoralised about things, but are both hoping that 2015 will be a much better. I hope you as my family and friends on Facebook will have a great one too!

My goals for 2015:
Publish my novel
Move somewhere better
Buy my new wheelchair
Get married
Have children.

Spanish customs differ from those in the UK at this time of year because the Spanish will eat 12 grapes on the stroke of midnight: one for each chime of the clock. So far, I have actually never been able to eat them all.

 The belief is that if you can eat them all by the time the final chime sounds, then you will have luck in every month of the coming year. People will drink champagne and also cava or any alcoholic drink they want to have. During Christmas and New Year, they usually a lot of seafood and also a lot of serrano ham (like Parma ham).

Alfredo and I will just be having a Chinese tonight! We follow the tradition that they follow in Valencia which is to eat a segment of Satsuma that for every clock chime. This is simply because we prefer satsumas to grapes, and because we tend to have a lot of oranges and satsumas in the house during winter because of the vitamin C.

Before the midnight celebrations start, there is always a marathon in an area of Madrid called Vallecas  on the last day of the year.

After midnight, the party goes on until however long they want it  to

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 14: My Presents Are Finally Here

Yesterday, after all that tracking down my birthday and Christmas presents (which involved a phone call to dad), the parcels finally arrived because Alfredo went to get them from the post office!

I got a mixture of things:

 A handstitched journal from Paprchase
 Some  cool animal print pens.
Some sachets of hot chocolate mix.
Disney nail wraps.
A couple of tops.

Some pairs of socks.
And some money.

I still have yet to take some pictures of what I got, but when I do they will be here

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 13: A Busy Day In The Life Of A Writer

Today started off with all the usual things , breakfast and some TV then getting ready for the day. 

My plan was to get some more critiques done for the Scribophile site , but I ended up on Facebook and the Inked Voices siite. I have dropped out of some of the small critique groups that make up the Inked Voices site because lately I have found it too much and I have been feeling very snowed under. I'm glad I now have a slightly lighter workload. I'm also trying to finish off my Goodreads Reading Challenge for the year. 104 books so far. Hoping to reach 105 at least and make my target for next year between 110 and 120. 

Dad sent me an email about my birthday and Christmas gifts, after having asked if they had arrived every time he and Mum called ever since about the 11th of December. 

I had to chase up the parcels and two are in the post office near our flat but the thrid isn't . They were all posted on the same day recorded delivery and all need to be signed for. We didn't even get a slip from the post office to say the postman had been and no-one rang on the bell which is very unusual.That on its own took the best part of a few hours out of my day as I was sending emailsback and   forth to dad and the post office. Thank God for Facebook (I contacted the post office through there.) 

So tomorrow Alfredo will go and get the parcels and I will finally see what's inside them! 

I did a separate blog post as I am looking for beta readers for the novel I dictated in November 2013 I got some volunteers from the NaNoWriMo Facebook group but am looking for more. If yoou are interested please reply to the post  where I make the request with how I can send my manuscript to you. I am looking for serious and reliable beta readers who will do a good, thorough and informative job and who'll get my manuscript back to me on time.  You must enjoy reading and/ or writing and genuinely want to help me, not just be out to read and get your hands on a copy of my manuscript without helping out. There have been too many times when people have said they would halp but have never got back to me with suggestions and changes, or to say they thought it was ready to publish. I am looking to publish by Fabruary/ March 2015 AT THE LATEST. 

Beta Readers Needed For My Urban Fantasy Novel For 9-12 Year Olds.

HI everyone. I'm in critical need of beta readers for my urban fantasy novel. The novel is called Spellbrooke and is part one of the Spellbrooke trilogy which is aimed at 9 to 12-year-olds. This is my first novel, and I am hoping to publish by February/ March 2015 at the latest . I have joined two online critique groups, but some people think that they can't read children's novels because of their age. I am 33 years old, and wrote in this genre because I wanted to give it a try. I am in a difficult position because hardly any of my family and friends enjoy reading or writing, and most do not have the time to help me out.

 I realise this is a time and priority issue for everybody as they have to balance other aspects of their lives, but I would really appreciate it if someone would come forward and offer to help me out. I created a campaign in May 2014 but was unable to raise the funds I needed for a professional editor and/or beta reader, and I also have complex medical needs that need to be seen to and paid for, so money is a huge issue from me. I've been working on this novel since November 2013 and it would be my complete dream to see it published, but without a reliable reader who will receive my work and get back to me on it  promptly I will be unable to do that.

Please get back to me ASAP if you feel like you can help.

I'm happy to beta read, review or critique your work for you. I can post reviews on my reading blog at www.myreadingparadise.wordpress.com, or on Amazon/ Goodreads. 

If you would be up for helping me, reply to this post. 

Here's a synopsis 

Casey Ford and Rachel Brown have a lot in common: they are best friends, they are both nine years old , and they both have Cerebral Palsy. They also want to be popular .
It's the the last day of school before the summer holidays. They both love reading and horses. They are looking forward to a nice fun, relaxing summer, without Angela and her friends from school teasing them and Casey's brother Nick being a nuisance . The summer starts off great, with trips to the swimming pool and shopping centre , but then the girls ' parents book them into Violet Roses Summer Camp.  Reluctantly , they both go, and in some ways it's not so bad, they ride, swim, do crafts and go on day trips.
One day trip is to Swallowdale , a town where they visit a fortune teller with a crystal ball who tells of a magical land called Spellbrooke, where Faries, Humans and animals live. If only they could find the way there.......
A scandal forces their days at the camp to be over, but it's not all bad news as Casey's tenth birthday arrives, and she's given what she always wanted: a horse she names Noah. They make a promise that they will visit Spellbrooke again, and one day they do. This time, they're set a Quest by Queen Tobenia and King Oliver II: find the missing Popularity Potion.
Together with an unlikely group of friends and animals, they battle through Spellbrooke completing mini Quests, and searching for the missing Popularity Potion , but will they complete it ? Will the Potion work? Was Spellbrooke real or just a dream
Join Casey and Rachel as they discover a new land, make new friends, and discover a true friendship can never be broken.

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 12: How And Why I Have Grown To Love Writing

Until about  November 2013, I was an avid reader, and still am. 

As a young girl, I promised myself that when I was older I would write a book one day. That day was November 18th 2013 as it turned out. That was the day I officially finished the first draft of my first novel , Spellbrooke. 

After that day I rested up, enjoyed my birthday and Christmas and threw myself into the long, hard editing process ......and I'm still there over a year later. Since then, I  have participated in two other Camp NaNoWriMo events in April and July 2014, and also  another NaNoWriMo, in November 2014. 

So, now, I have 4 novels in various stages under my belt. I have 2 printed and bound, another on its way, and the fourth is still on my computer.  

I love writing albeit using my trusty Dragon Dictation programme because it is a creative thing to do and it is a way of getting my ideas out there. It is also another way of using my passion for words. It is a way of expressing myself. Since I have started writing more I have joined two online critique groups and have had to toughen up when I get critiques.It's a huge learning curve but I love challenges and I write because I enjoy it and because I hope to sell my books. I have not had much luck with finding work in my life because I was seen as sometimes "too skilled" and others "not skilled enough." I did some voluntary work but did not find that challenging or enjoyable. I have had paid jobs but not many and have faced lots of discrimination and negative assumptions abiut my disabilities and abilities.  I decided last year that I would create my own work and that's when I decided to write my first book. I'm so glad I made that decision or else I wouldn't be in the situation I am now. 

My advice to others is: if you have a dream, fight for it. You never know what might happen.

 

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 11: Small World

I hope you all had a great Christmas day, and if you're from the UK I hope you had a great Boxing Day yesterday.  I love reading, and will occasionally read a book by or about a person with a disability to aid in my disability awareness work for my Facebook page where I raise awareness primarily for Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephlus but also for any disability and/ or condition really. https://www.facebook.com/KatherineHaywardMyLifeWithCerebralPalsy?ref=hl

A couple of days ago, I finished reading Hannah Same Both Ways by Hannah Rose. It's the true story Hannah tells about her life since she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a condition which damaged her spine leaving her paralysed from the neck down and on a ventilator. It's a small world because not only does she live not too far away from the Liverpool – Cheshire area my grandmother lives in, but she also visited the Villa in Portugal on holiday that is owned by Simon, and his wife Denise.  Simon just so happens to be my sister's husband's cousin. On her travels with her family, Hannah has also visited a hotel in Tenerife called Mar Y Sol  (she doesn't mention the name but it's in the Los Cristianos/Playa de las Americas   area where the hotel I describe is).  The hotel is supposed to be really well adapted for people with disabilities that has actually been recommended for me to go to a couple of times but I have never actually gone to yet . I do remember making enquiries about rooms and facilities though, so hopefully Alfredo and I can go in the future. 

The book's unique cover and Hannah's chatty and quirky personality  drew me to devour the book in just a few days. Each chapter is headed by a quote taken from the chapter it is about, which is a ice idea. All the way through the book I had a  great sense of how loving and helpful Hannah's family are, and how  important they are to her. Her friends and carers are also tremendously important. I can identify personally with lots of aspects of Hannah's life because of my own disabilities and the  fact I  have used care agencies, use a hoist and an electric wheelchair, and cannot stand being pushed in a manual one, although I need to ne because I don't have the muscle strength to use a manual wheelchair on my own. I dont't like being in a manual wheelchair on the occasions when my powerchair can't be used as I really feel my independence is being taken away from me, even though I am able to only drive my powerchair for a very short amout of time before I tire and/or am in pain or have a muscle spasm because of the effort I have to go to to move my chair on my own. I, like Hannah,  need to  carefully plan  what I do each day. I also really like shopping and fashion , as well as watching Friends  on TV and listening to the Backstreet Boys on my MP5 player!  I really loved watching Neighbours   During the 80s and 90s. I identify with the many assumptions  Hannah mentions that people make about the abilities of those of us with any kind of disability. 

 So this is a small world. They have this great saying here in Spain which  equivalent to saying its a small world, but they say "el mundo es un pañuelo" (the world is a handkerchief ).

It was nice to read about her experiences and opinions on life. I would highly recommend this book.

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 10: Happy Boxing Day/ Friday

I hope you all had a great Christmas day yesterday, and so far today for me has been relaxing, although I have started to get back in gear writing wise, and done a couple of critiques of peoples writing, plus posting some of my own online for people to critique.

 Alfredo and I are still firmly in the Christmas spirit, and I am still waiting for my birthday/Christmas presents to arrive. I'll let you know when I get them and what I get! I am also still waiting for a proof copy of my first novel in my urban fantasy trilogy. The novel is called The  Spellbrooke Trilogy book 3: The Legend of Spellbrooke .

For those of you in the UK have a great Boxing Day. That is not celebrated in Spain, and today is an normal day. The next big celebration will be New Year. Do you have any plans for that yet?

Enjoy the rest of today whatever you do! Have a wonderful weekend.