Combining words and images

27.10.10

For some time, I have noticed many bloggers using the Wordpress platform. It comes to my attention every time I discover a super blog that I am keen to follow, but when I try and find the 'follow' button, there doesn't seem to be one.
So, I figured I might try this wordpress malarkey myself. Et voila... suzyturner.wordspress.com is born! Now, I've been through all their themes and have decided to do something a little different to compliment my blog over here at blogger. Instead of writing longer posts over there, I have chosen a cool theme for photographers. 'But, a photographer, she ain't' I hear you say. And you're right, I'm not. However, over the years, my husband (and I, on occasion) has taken some pretty awesome photos that I'd like to share (and occasionally, I just might borrow some nice images from elsewhere). Each image I choose to post, I will write something to go along with it. A kind of image meets words kinda thing. It might sound a bit odd, but I know what I want to do in my mind. Why not scoot on over there and check it out?! Its still very much in its infancy, mind you so please be patient (and do pass it on to anybody you think might like it!)
http://suzyturner.wordpress.com
Oh, and the funny thing... there doesn't appear to be a 'follow' button after all!

Practical Magic... an all time favourite movie

26.10.10

I just had to share this with you... I am currently watching one of my all time favourite movies, Practical Magic. Even though I own the DVD, I haven't watched it for a while. So here I am sitting on the sofa, feeling really rough with a nasty cold, when I switched on the TV to find Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman looking back at me.
Squeeling with excitement (yes, I know, I can be quite sad) I have now settled down to watch it and, as always, it's WONDERFUL. It's such an inspiring film for me. The mixture of magic, drama, romance, sadness and at times, horror (well, perhaps horror is a tad strong, but you know what I mean) is just mind tingling. Combine that with the enticing music and I'm in a trance.
I just love it... love it!

Writing...words

26.10.10

Writing. It's one of those things in life that you either love or you hate. My husband very much falls into the latter category, luckily for me as it seems to be the only thing he's useless at. And, if I do say so myself, it's the one thing that I'm actually not too bad at.
M (my husband) has never liked it, not at school, not at work, not at all. Although he has improved tremendously over the years, he still turns to me to double check any letters or emails that need to be sent for his work.
Well, it goes without saying that I love to write. My mind is a cornucopia of ideas that can be made into works of fiction, but often, the ideas remain there. In my mind, that is. I find myself sitting here wondering what to write. Last night as I was dropping off to sleep, I had tonnes of great ideas for posts and for stories. But where are on earth are they now?
Yes, I do know that I should be working on my novel instead of wasting time trying to think up ideas for my blog. But today, I am not in the mood for Raven. Just like yesterday, my brain wasn't in Raven mode. Tomorrow though, perhaps it will be. Perhaps I just need to focus myself and tell myself that tomorrow is a day dedicated to all things Raven. In fact, while I'm thinking about it, I'm going to work on nothing else tomorrow, other than Raven.
Right, now I've got that out of the way. How about a nice cup of tea?

Random Magic by Sasha Soren giveaway!

25.10.10

You know how I love a great giveaway... well, here's another FAB one that I just came across on the lafemmereaders blog. You could be in with a chance to win a signed first edition copy of Sasha Soren's Random Magic... and even better, this competition is open internationally!
To enter, visit http://lafemmereaders.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-tour-giveaway-random-magic.html and fill out the form.
Good luck!

Blog awards

25.10.10



Missy's Reads & Reviews

I just received a blog award from the lovely Missy over at 'missyreadsreviews'
How sweet is that? Apparently I must now choose 15 awesome bloggers I have found recently and award them for having such great blogs. It's a lovely gesture so I'm going to continue it...(shame I can't choose Missy though, as her blog is fab too!)

Rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award.
2. Answer the 10 survey questions.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.
4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award.

Questions:

1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?
As you can see from my blog name, I don't blog anonymously. Sometimes it would be useful... especially if someone has wound me up!!

2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:
A birthday party at a Chinese restaurant many years ago. Quite a few of my friends were there and after the main course I was insistent on having a dessert. Everyone was telling me not to bother, including my husband. I got so annoyed that I nearly had a hissy fit, "if I want a dessert... I'm going to have a b****y dessert!" So everyone watched as I ate, and thoroughly enjoyed, my deep fried ice cream. I must have been so incredibly stupid not to realise a birthday cake was on its way out. Boy did I feel stupid.

3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?
The same woman I've always seen, only carrying a little more weight, with a few more wrinkles and a helluva lot more grey hair... but still as happy!

4. What is your favourite summer cold drink?
In the evening, it would be a chilled glass of white wine. During the day, still water or orange flavoured ice tea.

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?
I am very fortunate to have loads of time to myself and so I do what I love to do... read books, blogs, magazines. Work on my novels, Raven and Forever Fredless. Watch TV or a good movie. Yesterday I watched Village of the Damned...I can't say it was a good movie but it was entertaining... a real Sunday afternoon movie!

6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?
There are two main goals... one is to become a successful published author and the other is to move to Canada with my husband. I'd also like to do a lot more travelling... but that will come when I've made my millions!!

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching?
That's a tough one. I wasn't particularly shy, I never ditched and although I did like to make people laugh, I wasn't the clown. I guess if I had to be put in one category, it was probably the overachiever (that is until I turned 16 when I met my husband... my schooling kind of went downhill a bit after that because I spent all my time thinking about him!). I was voted Head Girl though... but then I changed schools and never got to fulfil that role.

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?
There are many, really. I have lost some very dear people in my life and so I would think about them... my mother, my grandfather, my father in law, my mother in law, close family friends. But if I wanted to think of a happy time, that would be my 2 wedding days - one was in Gibraltar and then a week later in Praia da Luz, Algarve.

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?
I don't have a problem showing the real me. I want people to know who I am and what I'm all about. I do also thoroughly enjoy writing about others and events.

10. If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?
Sit down and read, absolutely. I'm not a very good person to chat on the phone...my conversation skills are better face to face. But given the choice, I just can't help it... I'd choose to read every time!

My recipients of a blog award:
http://highheelsandbookdeals.blogspot.com/
http://reneeamiller.blogspot.com/
http://mountainsofinstead.blogspot.com/
http://everythingsjustpeachytoday.blogspot.com/
http://withoutabookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://www.iheartmonster.com/
http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/
http://coffeeandroses.blogspot.com/
http://www.hollycupala.com/
http://carol-in-print.blogspot.com/
http://www.kellyoram.com/
http://melissajcunningham.blogspot.com/
http://123andtherewerebooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.bewitchedbookworms.com/
http://anabundanceofbooks.blogspot.com/

Miranda Dickinson's second novel

21.10.10

I'm so excited for fellow Authonomist Miranda Dickinson who has just got her hands on her second published novel, Welcome to My World!
I've followed Miranda in recent months, via Myspace, Twitter and Authonomy and she is such an inspiration to me, well to all of us unpublished writers out there, really. She's the perfect example that our dreams can, and do, come true.
You may recall Miranda's first novel, Fairytale of New York.
See the authonomy blog http://blog.authonomy.com/2010/10/its-here.html
For more details visit www.miranda-dickinson.com
Way to go Miranda!!!

Fabulous YA blogs

20.10.10

I have just spent a few hours perusing the blogosphere. I am amazed at the sheer number of fantastic blogs there are out there... and I was only looking at ones related to books and authors.
I am truly envious of those blogs that are stunning creations - pieces of art, even. But it's the content that is so cool in these instances. The majority of these fabulous bloggers must spend hours and hours reading all the latest books out there and then they tell the world what they thought.
Admittedly, the majority of the ones that interested me today were mostly related to the YA genre... and you could tell by the styles of their blogs. Some were really cute and girly and others were dark and brooding (Edward Cullen sprang to mind).
All made me want to grab a book and curl up on the sofa... something, I am ashamed to admit, I haven't been in the mood for, for at least a few weeks. Now, along with the change in the weather, I feel a change in my disposition. I am beginning to feel like I need to get back to my reading (and my writing, but that's for another post...!) and get into a great YA book.
But I can't do that until I've finished reading two that I had already started. I'd feel incredibly guilty otherwise. One is a chick lit comedy by Wendy Holden called School for Husbands and the other, is a romance novel that I recently won online by Maria Savva (you can find Maria on twitter @maria_savva).
Right... with that, I'm off to put my feet up! I shall let you know (hopefully soon) what I thought of them both. And then I can really get stuck into a great YA book!
PS. Please check out all the blogs that I am following (to the left), as they were all so excellent, I just had to follow them all!

Tongue-tied

20.10.10

I get tongue-tied... all the time.
If I'm writing, I don't have the problem (duh... because I have time to think about it) but when I'm trying to have a normal conversation, I forget the simplest of words and get even more simpler words jumbled up.
Clearly, this is not normal. But why does it happen?
Am I spending so little time talking to people and too much time typing? Possibly. Does it happen to you?
Perhaps I am focussing on it too much that it's become a psychological thing (or pyscho thing!) so that whenever I start talking, something in the back of my mind goes 'what are you doing? you can't have a conversation. what are you trying to do?' and basically, messes me up.
Or perhaps I'm just losing it. Am I a lost cause?

Pillars of the Earth

20.10.10

One of the best novels I have ever read is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. It captured my imagination right from the start... even though it was such a thick heavy book!
It's a tale so beautifully told by Follett about the building of a (fictitious) cathedral in England in the 12th century. It might sound dreary but it is anything but... it was hard to put down and I was so upset to come to the end as I didn't want it to finish.
Finally it has made it to the screen and part one will be shown in England this Saturday on Channel 4. Personally, I am gutted. Living in Portugal, we don't pick up Channel 4 on our satellite! Boo hoo. Not that I could watch it though... my dad's birthday is the same day. I guess I'll just have to wait for it to come out on DVD.
In the meantime, folks, check out the trailer below to give you an idea of what is to come. Enjoy!
(oh dear.... we must forgive the person who created this video for misspelling 'pillars')

An emotional soul

16.10.10

One of my all time favourite movies was on TV this afternoon. Hope Floats, with Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr and Gena Rowlands is just adorable. Harry is such a beautiful man with such a beautiful voice! And not only is Sandra so gorgeous, she is a fantastic actress to boot. It's a sad film, of course, but with a happy ending. I just love happy endings. So much so, in fact, that I can't bear to watch anything that doesn't have one. I hate watching, or reading, anything that will leave me feeling depressed or sad. Unfortunately, I am such an emotional soul that I am highly affected by such things. A little bit like that wonderful character, June (was it June?) from The Secret Life of Bees. The sister that bursts into tears at the slightest hint of sadness.
I can cry at the drop of a hat - show me a sad picture, a moving commercial or a tragic scene in a terribly acted soap opera and I'll well up. My husband laughs at me every time I do, but I can't help it!
I dislike watching the news too often because it upsets me so much. There's just too much sadness, violence, death and pain all over the world. Of course I love to watch it when it's about something good and positive. The rescue of the Chilean miners, for example, was wonderful... although it's on the news a little too much even now that they're all safe and well. It won't be long until there's a movie about the whole saga, I'm sure.
And don't get me on 9/11. That's just too much to bear. I try to watch films or TV documentaries about it but, by the end, I have a head ache from shedding so many tears for all those poor souls who lost their lives, those that were injured and for the thousands and thousands who lost family and friends. I can't bear the thought of it... but I do because we mustn't ever forget them. I went to see Ground Zero in 2008 and it was a very moving experience. Hard though, to stay dry eyed.
Although I do feel a little silly walking out of the cinema with my eyes streaming, I don't regret being this way. It does you good to have a good cry now and then, don't you think?

Life's too short

15.10.10

I've just read a great article in Red (UK) magazine about how so many people pretend to have read some of the great literary works of all time.
It is actually funny how many people do that. Why? What's the point? Who cares that I never read Anna Karenina or War and Peace? Life's too short to read stuff that takes that much effort. Books should be read to be thoroughly enjoyed. Escapism at its best, that's what it should all be about.
With me, what you see is what you get. I'm not going to bulls**t you and say I've read all these high brow books when, in reality, I'd rather spend my time reading a good chick lit novel or Harry Potter! Like I said, life's too short already.
Having said all that, at school I read Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and the like and I really enjoyed them. And Shakespeare wasn't bad either... particularly A Midsummer Night's Dream and Anthony and Cleopatra, but I wouldn't necessarily choose to read that kind of thing now.
Earlier this year I read Life of Pi. Boy was that a weird book. I persevered though and I can't say I particularly enjoyed it. It was interesting, I give you that. Then I read something else I wouldn't ordinarily have picked up and it was excellent. It was called The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I highly recommend it.
Another that I recommend (and the movie too) was The Secret Life of Bees. A wonderful tale.
Of course, in between these books I was thoroughly enjoying books my Cecelia Ahern, Wendy Holden, Jenny Colgan, Stephenie Meyer, etc etc!
Like I said... life's too short. Don't you agree?

The person behind the blog

15.10.10


I read a great post the other day (sorry but I seem to have lost the link) about the fact that so many of us communicate via social networking sites but we never really know the people we're talking to.
The person who wrote the post had been regularly 'chatting' to someone online and had never even realised that this person suffered from a debilitating illness that caused her constant pain.
It's true, we might see avatars of our 'friends' and 'followers' but what's behind these images? Who are these people? Would we be friends if we met in the flesh?
It is for this reason that I would like to share a few snippets about myself... so you know who I am. The person behind that little picture over on the left hand side of this screen. I'd love to hear a little about you... who you really are, so do drop me a line. Let's not just connect... let's get to know each other a little better!
* I was born in the town of Rotherham in Yorkshire, England
* My dad won the football Pools (lottery) when I was really young (not that you'd know now!)
* When I was ten my family and I moved to the Algarve, Portugal
* My mother died when I was just 13. She was only 34
* On my 16th birthday I met the love of my life. He proposed on my 21st birthday and we were married the following year
* I failed my driving test the first time round. Luckily I passed on the 2nd!
* I love dark chocolate
* One of my favourite books was one I studied at school... A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
* I often suffer from back pain / sciatica
* I have one dog and four cats
* I adore Canada... I've only visited once but we've just booked our next trip for early next year
* I am a Harry Potter and Twilight nut
* I wrote my first novel about 12 years ago. It was a chick lit novel called Molly and it wasn't particularly good
* I recently read a short romance story I had published years ago in a newspaper. God, it was bad.
* I love white wine
* One of the best things I ever bought was my Nespresso machine (and it's not just because George Clooney features in its adverts)
* I learned a lot from author Jilly Cooper when I was a young teen (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)
* I think Piers Morgan is quite sexy... is that weird?
* I only half read The Time Traveler's Wife because I got bored of it... sorry Audrey Niffenegger!
* The girl in the picture? Yes, it's me. But no. I don't drive bikes. My husband does though. I'm just being a poser!

I'll probably add more as and when!

Scaring me senseless

13.10.10

It's pitch black outside. My husband sleeps peacefully beside me. My bedside lamp is lit and I sit here with my laptop tapping away at the keys (actually I was on Twitter but that's beside the point).
It's still warm so the fan whirrs away in the background, but it doesn't prevent the strange sounds outside from wafting in and... scaring me senseless!
I don't know what it is but with my wild imagination I would say it sounds like enormous wings flapping. My first thought takes me back to a film that has terrorised my imagination since the night I watched it. I don't want to even mention it's name but I feel I must. Oh god... it's getting louder. Do I wake him up beside me?
No, he will only laugh (well, no, he won't laugh now. Maybe he will in the morning but not now). I won't wake him.
I must not think about that damn film. Oh dear... it's too late. It's in my head. Stuck in my mind. Horrifying images flash here and there. Oh, damn horror films. I now fear I won't be able to turn off the light.
I am like a child, even though I am 34... nearing 35 actually. Perhaps had I ever had children, I might have been different. I'd be too focussed on ridding the children of their nightly fears than worrying about silly sounds that go 'bump' in the night.
No... I'm a grown woman. An adult. A silly woman with an over active imagination. I stop again, and listen. I will conquer this fear. I throw back the covers and tentatively tiptoe to the window............
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh
Only kidding!
I still don't know what it is, so I've woken him up. He doesn't look happy but I force him to go to the terrace anyway. He listens for a while and then goes back to bed with little comment. Well... thanks a lot.
So here I am. My imagination still running wild. For now though, I content myself with the fact that it sounds like a giant fan and there is little else that it can be (or should I say, hope?)
Midnight is nearing. Time for sleep. I will try and force the noise from my mind. But before I can... of course, the name of the stupid movie returns.
Jeepers Creepers.
Well... thanks brain. Just what I need.

What about Jack?

12.10.10

This is something I wrote a few years ago. I'd love to hear what people think of it...

What About Jack?

Go. I sure as hell don’t care
Just wish you’d gone a long time ago
Get out. Don’t tell me where
Just get out, get lost and go

What about Jack?
You ain’t taking him
He’s not going forth and back
He’s my Jack

Go. Get the hell outa my life
You’re nothing but a troublemaker
You treat me like your damn housewife
You’ve always been nothing but a faker

What about Jack?
You ain’t taking him
He’s not going forth and back
He’s my Jack

Go. Shut the door behind you
And leave me no reminder
No way I’ll feel blue
When I find someone new, someone kinder

What about Jack?
You ain’t taking him
He’s not going forth and back
He’s my Jack

Go. Glad to see the back of you
Don’t wanna see your face again
You really don’t have a clue
God, you act like you’re still ten

What about Jack?
You ain’t taking him
He’s not going forth and back
He’s my Jack

Go. I’m way too good for you
If I can have the prince, why choose the frog
From now on, you’re history
And there’s no way you’re taking THE DOG.

Advertising at its best

12.10.10

This is one advert I simply must share. If you haven't seen it already, it's incredibly well done!!

Style guidance promo

10.10.10

Now, as you know, I love a good give-away (see previous post) and so I've just entered a competition to win a Kindle! The website gives away prizes every week so it's well worth taking a look. After all... someone's got to win and it might be you (or... me, of course).
The website is http://styleguidance.com/promo
Shame I didn't win the euromillions this weekend though. One person won it. Yes, one person! And the amount? £112 million!! Unbelievable amount of money. Can you imagine what could be done with that amount of money? Sigh.

A freak of nature?

10.10.10

Is it just me or does every writer have a ridiculously wild overactive imagination?
The slightest little thing can set me off. I'll be sitting in my lounge watching something on TV with my husband when I turn and glance momentarily outside. I see an elderly woman dressed in black hunched over a crooked stick. I can't see her face mind you as she's not facing me. She's sitting atop our boundary wall looking in the opposite direction.
I mention it to my husband and he looks at me as if I've finally gone mad.
"It's an old black bin bag Suze".
"I know..." I say, "but look... it looks just like an old crone".
Again, a blank stare... at me.
"Suze... it looks like an old black bin bag because it's an old black bin bag".
He shakes his head at me and returns his attention to the TV.
I forget about the old crone.
I'll be driving down the road on my own when I see a wild beast about to pounce from the side of the road. It's curled up ready to leap on its unsuspecting prey. As I drive past, I note that that's one weird looking rock.
A leafless tree can look like a monster.
A cloud can look like the face of Homer Simpson.
A shadow can look like a scary freak following me.
But scariest of all? Our banana tree. It's a freak of nature, I tell you.
It was given to us less than a year ago. Then, it was barely the height of my knee. Now, it's more like something from Jack and the Beanstalk. I can just about see the top of it.
But it's not so much the look of that, that freak of nature, it's the noise it makes. U huh, I tell you. It makes noises.
Its branches tap against the side of the house, slowly moving up and down, taunting me over and over.
I remember a movie about a tree that terrorises a family and this is exactly the same thing. It's terrorising me. Moi!
My husband, on the other hand, is mightily proud of his enormous... banana tree... of course.

Kickstarter trailer for Haunting Miss Trentwood

8.10.10

Since writing my last post, I have watched a few of Worderella's videos and I am even more excited by her project, Haunting Miss Trentwood. Check out this video and, if you can, help in her cause...



Help a writer achieve her dreams (and I don't mean me!)

7.10.10

Author Belinda Kroll has a real cracker of a book all written, edited and ready to be published. All she needs now are the funds to do so.
However, her dream can easily be achieved by the help of... well anyone with a few spare dollars!
Check out this link to see what you can do to help... and don't worry, if you're not one for giving and not receiving, you will get something in return!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/worderella/self-published-author-worderella-writes-2nd-book-y?ref=email

Good luck Belinda!!

U feeling lucky....punk?

7.10.10

It was a rollover on the Euromillions lottery last week. That's pretty much the only time I ever put it on... when there's a ridiculously amount of cash to be won. I would do it every week, but I forget. It's only that it seems to be advertised everywhere when there's a rollover that I actually remember.
I was walking through the supermarket with my husband when I suddenly remembered... lorra lorra cash to be won. I rushed in and put on my 10 euros worth of attempts and rushed back out with a grin on my face.
My husband shook his head, "there goes another 10 euros... wasted" he said. He always says that.
"Well, someone's got to win. You never know" I laughed.
"Yes I do know and it's not going to be us".
This bugged me a bit (he does it on purpose to wind me up and it always works).
"It might be. You need to change your attitude for us to be able to win. You need to think positive that something like that will happen. That's why you've never won anything."
Of course he shook his head again and said it's not about luck.
"Of course it is", I added.
And that was the end of the conversation about luck and winning.
That was until I got home and switched on my computer to check my emails. My first message?
"Congratulations, Suzy, you've won a book!"
Hee hee hee

A great give away.... from Erica Hayes

4.10.10

I love a good give away and I just saw that urban fantasy author Erica Hayes is running a competition, the winner of which wins a selection of great fantasy books out this week. I have to say I do like her style... to enter to win, you must befriend her on twitter, 'like' her facebook page, retweet her competition on twitter, mention her on your blog (!) and ask her a question about her life as an author.
Well, as you can see, I am clearly after those books! But... I like to think I am helping Erica get the word out about her work. I know how difficult it is to become a published author (no, I'm not at that stage yet but give me time) so its just cool to help out whenever I can... also in the hope that others will do the same for me. Please check out Erica's website and blog and help spread the word about not only a fun competition, but an intriguing author...
http://www.ericahayes.net/
http://faerylite.livejournal.com/17462.html
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