It's here - available for pre-order!

I'm delighted to say that the publication date of 'Resolutions' draws near, August 9th. Meanwhile my first novel is available for pre-order on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073JPN2X9/

Please go along and take a look. It's on at the special pre-order price of .99p - an absolute bargin.

Tomorrow I'll be back with a couple of excerpts to whet your appetite

Best wishes

Carol

Where do you write?

I have recently returned from a Baltic cruise. It was a fabulous holiday, of which the high spot was St. Petersburg and Catherine The Great's fabulous blue and white palace.

While touring the palace, snapping away, my interest was piqued by some of the writing desks on show.

These desks are from the days when writing was an art and letters were written daily. I think to day we are in danger of losing that art as so few of us actually 'write' letters.

I do occasionally write long hand and recently used a gift voucher to buy myself a good pen, a Cross, rather than any old freebie pen which seemed to end up in my bag from hotels etc.

Of course, many of our greatest writers sat at their desks writing long hand, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen to name but two.

 At least with my laptop, or which ever device you favour, we have the ability to move around the house and garden at leisure and continue writing. Dicken's desk looks very elegant and yet comfortable. I can't believe Jane Austen wrote such masterpieces (in my opinion) when sat at such a small table.

The Bronte sisters all sat around the dining table when writing. I believe when they wanted to discuss things or read aloud they would all stand and walk round and round the table.

So I can hear you asking.  I think I can hear you asking. Where do I write? Sometimes I'm on the patio, in good weather, sometimes in the kitchen when it's cold. Generally, as now, I'm here.

So where do you write?

Resolution or Celebration?

I have often been asked why I called my first novel Resolution.  It seemed an obvious choice of name to me as it tells the story of Carly Mitchells' resolve to right the distress she had caused by leaving her home town suddenly, just before she is due to marry. Also the main part of the story centres around New Year.

However the name and idea came to me when I was visiting here: the town of Celebration in Florida.
Celebration is a planned community, developed by Disney over twenty years ago. It is a beautifully laid out town around a large lake. It was the name I fell for. I hit on the idea of a town called Resolution and the germ of the story started to form.  For the first two drafts the story was set in the town of Resolution somewhere in mid-west America.

I created two problems for myself. Other writers, whose opinion
I trusted said I was simply putting British characters and a British plot in America. I wasn't successfully dealing with American language idioms or making the locations believable. I was advised to move the story to a location closer to home and one I knew well.  I was devastated. My town had to be called Resolution and who ever heard of an English town called something like that!

I knew I was being given good advice but it was hard to take it. But, take it I did. I wrote the next draft and the town became Yeardon. Central to the story is The Resolution Hotel and the main events still take place around New Year. The locations are loosely based on areas around where I live.

As I wrote the next two drafts I knew I had done the right thing. The story flowed better and was far more believable.

I've been back to Celebration recently and it's still a lovely town.-, but it's not 'my town'.
I;m glad I listened to the advice I was given.
I'm looking forward to it being published by Tirgearr Publications and this would never have happened if I had not made the necessary changes.

About time too!

Recently I visited the NT property, Nostell Priory, which is located about forty minutes from where I live.

I'm familiar with the house and grounds, but on this visit there was a rather surprising exhibition to see.  It was based on John Harrison, the man of longitude fame. I was surprised to find out the Harrison had been born on the Nostell Priory estate at Foulby. I had no idea he was a 'local' man.

Clocks and time pieces in their hundreds had been donated and the resulting display in one of the rooms was little short of spectacular.

Every conceivable clock ancient and modern was there, wall clocks, children's clocks, chiming clocks, mantelpiece clocks, alarms, travel clocks. I'm sure you get the picture.

There were long case clocks and even clocks laid out on the stairs.
Eventually we went to see Harrison's Long Case Clock which is over three hundred years old.

This clock will soon come to the end of its life. There is a debate whether it should be allowed to stop, to replace the necessary mechanism with modern counterparts, or to make a modern copy.

You could fill in a post card with your thoughts.  There were many varied views and ideas to read.

John Harrison is particularity famous for solving the problem of longitude and helping the navy, who used only latitude and lost many ships.  He should have been awarded a prize of £20,000,00 but it was never given to him.

Home and Away

I've been away.
We've had a family holiday, together with our daughters and grandchildren. Here are a few clues to where we've been.


We had a wonderful time with fantastic weather.  Everyone enjoyed themselves but particularly 12 year old Matthew, who discovered a passion for white knuckle rides!  5 year old Lily lived the magic every single moment. She shed a few tears when it was time to come home.




A few days before we left for Florida I had some exciting news.

 My book, Resolution, was accepted by a publisher.

It will be published by www.tirgearrpublishing.com, 
hopefully in early August.

I signed the contract before we left. On our return I have been busy supplying the details they needed for the front cover, dedications and acknowledgments.

It's a great feeling after all these years. It has been on the back burner for about four years until I looked at it again. I've been doing lot of hard work editing and re-writing it over the last twelve months in particular. So cross your fingers and I'll keep you informed about the process.

We are all looking forward to a sunny and warm summer - well, we live in hope!


.

I 💗Cumbria (part 2) Maryport.

We enjoyed such lovely weather while staying in Keswick we decided to have a trip out to the west coast town of Maryport. It was only half an hour's journey, driving past Bassenthwaite and some beautiful scenery.

I knew nothing about the town. We decided to go very much on a whim. However we had a lovely day there and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
 http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/maryport/

Maryport has a long history and what appears to be an excellent Roman Museum. Maryport was a Roman port dating from the 5th century. Unfortunately the museum was shut when we were there.



I will be honest and say that the town centre, as are so many, was a little tired and care worn.
The town folk make up for this and are very friendly and chatty.

We were made to feel very welcome, where ever we stopped.
There are a dedicated group of locals who are working hard to regenerate the town and bring in visitors. https://www.facebook.com/lovemaryporttownteam

Maryport has a long promenade, wonderful for walking and cycling along. As you walk along the Solway Firth, you are gazing across to Dumfries and Galloway. We walked almost as far as the next town of Allonby before turning back.

Our tummies were rumbling as we walked back into the town, lunch called. We found a quirky cafe, Her Citi, with wonderful food and some beautiful items for sale. https://www.facebook.com/herciti

We had such an enjoyable time, that we will certainly be returning.
I want to visit the Senhouse Roman Museum and maybe even finish that walk to Allonby.

During the year it holds heritage weekends and a Blues Festival in July.
There is a literary festival in November, for which I've already made a note in my diary.

I 💗Cumbria (part 1)

If you ever look at my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/carol.warham you would know that I visit Keswick as often as possible. Unfortunately this is usually only for two weeks a year generally.  One of these weeks is always the first week in March when I can enjoy the Words by the Water Literary Festival. This takes place at the Theatre by the Lake.

I usually book tickets for a couple of speakers and then see if anything else takes my eye and is not fully booked.  This time my friend Lynda and I went to listen to David Owen speaking about his book, 'Cabinet's Finest Hour -The hidden agenda of 1940'.  I admit is sounds a bit dry but he spoke eloquently about his research and his admiration for the politicians involved. He also answered questions on current topics, from Corbyn to Brexit. His answers and opinions were clearly expressed, no shilly shallying here.
The other speaker was Richard Francis on his book 'Judge Sewell's Apology', about the Salem witch trials. Again another well researched book and a fascinating history.

We enjoyed some beautiful weather while we were there.  Long leisurely strolls taken every day while a certain dog, named Sam, enjoyed leaping about in Derwentwater, splashing happily until we dragged him out.

During our time we we visited some of Keswick's excellent pubs and coffee bars. Yes, cake was involved.
We decided, unusually, to take a ride out to the coast and visited Maryport, more of which later.  Normally once I've parked up the car is forgotten about until it's time to go home.
I'm already planning my next week away, which will probably be around September or October time. That is unless I can squeeze one in sooner!