New Year, New Start, New Hope!

Hello all! I haven't put up a post in a while, so what has been new with me... well I have a new job. It's better for me, and also secret, and I'm gonna keep it that way. :)

I'm still writing, but my job is more important, so writing is taking a side step. I recently has a scare with my mother, she visited the hospital late in November after having a seizure. Still don't know why she had one, but she's on the mend now.

I worked over Christmas and Boxing Day, sadly. But such is life. I was also working New Years Eve and New Years Day.

But after a week, I'm finally ready to see in the New Year and say Happy New Year!!!

This year I am going to try and do MORE things. I want to take up Tai-Chi (Waterbending I'm such a child) and maybe tone my arse and thighs a bit more. I won't be giving up chocolate though, not even for a two million pounds (if you happen to have more than 2 million, please comment below and we can talk about it).

I have been thinking about the things last year and it was a roller-coaster year. At the beginning of 2013, I saw the new year in, on a freezing cold pier with large bonfire's, spicy fish stew and foil-wrapped baked potatoes in icy, freezing Seocheon, Korea.

We were given a "Wish" to attach to a tree. I can't remember what it was though, the cold got to my brain.

Freezing cold, wrapping up like a bazillion layers, here's me, pointing to the wish that I tied to the tree.

So yes, all of the above was me seeing in New Year 2013. Then of course my students party, the travelling around Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok and Phuket, I was one very lucky girl.

Then, I had to come back to the UK and everything went downhill from there. Don't know about my fellow Brits, but it's so depressing being back in the UK. However, I didn't do bad in the job department. Being smart, I applied for jobs and ended up with 4, yes 4! Two were summer jobs, but it was still money at the end of the day, and the other jobs were permanent to a certain degree. And that was it. I had a death in my family, I saw family members who I had never seen in my life and other's that I hadn't seen in years. And my book was published in August.

So what is going to happen this year? I'm hoping for good things. Really nice good things to happen for my friends and family, so fingers and toes crossed. This year started out with a peaceful ending, so I can hope that something will come as a peaceful beginning at the end of the year.

Will try for another book blog soon and try and do a competition for Loving In Time. Just need some ideas.

Ciao for now! xxx

The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom: Interview Loving in Time by AE Kirk

Hi all! So I started my book blog tour a few days ago. Here is one of my interviews that I've done.

Enjoy the read x


The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom: Interview Loving in Time by AE Kirk: Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use. My name is Abi and I live in Devon, England. I&#39...

Car Ramblings!

Car Ramblings! It always happens to me!

Umm, okay so I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I may as well.
I have a main job now where I drive around my town. I'm in my car mostly and its when I'm IN my car that weird things happen. So let's start with the first weird thing that happened about a month ago.

Incident 1) (Names in this story have been changed)

I was given a call to go to and I just happened to be about ten minutes early. It's a new call, so I didn't want to be too early. I thought going right on time would be better. So while I parked up, hoping that it was a good place to park, I was waiting in my car and I see this fella leave his house, walk down the side of my car, stop about forty feet away and come back. He wasn't wearing anything weird, or carrying a bag or walking stick. He just left his house, normal as anything I suppose, went for a brief walk and returned to his house. I thought nothing of it after all people down my way, we are pretty nuts, and so after my ten minutes were up, I left my car and headed to my call. Next minute the bloke from earlier runs out of his house and points at my car.

"Is that your car?" he asks. Immediately I feel a sense of dread. It's one thing I hate, not being any to park or parking in someone's place and not knowing it.

I nod and say, "Yes, I'm sorry if I'm parking in the wrong place, I haven't been here before."

The man shakes his head and taking my arm points at my car. "Your number plate"' he begins, "WJ, my name is John Williams," he smiled and I smiled back and nodded. "And 54, I started work in 1954!"

"Oh wow, what a coincidence," I said unsure of where he was going with this.

"If you get rid of your car, you come back and tell me and I'll have your number plate. Okay?"

"Oh yes, of course I will," I tell him and he smiles even more broadly and leaves, heading back into his house.

I walk to my call not really sure how I should be feeling.... To this day I'm not sure how I should feel, happy? Weirded out? You be the judge!


Incident 2) (Names of places changed)

Ahh a blissful Monday morning on a quiet road. I was about 20 mins early for my next call and pulled up outside one of my "normal" parking spots. I thought about getting a book out and continue reading, minding my own business, having some chocolate when suddenly the passenger door opened and a bloke got in.
My heart rate tripled in a matter of nanoseconds.

"I need you to take me to Torcombe" He flashed some money at me, it looked like a fiver. "I'll give you a twenty." I looked at him blankly. Clearly he was off his rocker, still pissed from the night before.

"Mate I can't," I told him, "it's far away and I have a call in a minute," I lied, thinking I'd better give him an excuse to not take him.

"Ah go on, I'm giving you money" he slurred.

"I can't, I don't have the time."

Grumbling, he gets out the car and slams the door. I take a breath and thank God that didn't turn out any worse. But about twenty seconds later the door opens AGAIN and the same bloke gets in.

"Can I have a fag off you?"

"Sorry, I don't smoke."

He mumbles and grumbles whilst swearing and slams my car door again. I watch him walk off a bit and I start getting my stuff ready as I don't want to be in my car anymore. If I make it to my call, I'll be safe.

So I get out and as I'm walking to my call, the bloke follows me.

"Please give me a lift." He asks again. He's holding his phone and it unable to do anything with it. He's pointing all over the screen like a drunkard.

"I can't. There's some shops just over the hill, I'm sure someone can help you out."

"I don't have any shoes on." I look down and see he was telling the truth. He must have been completely pissed and whacked out of his mind.

Next second, I see a cop car drive past. The guy starts following me. I ironically say, "Ask the police to give you a lift."

He gets angry. "Don't be a stupid cow." He continues to walk with me as though he's with me and when the coppers leave I dash across the road and he walks up to the shops. After a minute or so when I know he's out of sight, I run and catch up to the coppers and tell them about the men.

"Ah, that's the drunken idiot we've been after they say" and drive off to find him.


Moral of this story, ALWAYS LOCK YOUR DOOR EVEN WHEN YOU ARE IN IT!!!


Incident 3)

The day before this 3rd "incident" happened, I had been given a parking ticket. Curse you local money-snatching council! So the following day, as usual, I parked where I normally park and I go to my call, my double-up says, "Abi, there's a warden by your car" I freak out as I don't want to get another ticket. I flee the house, almost breaking my legs and shout at the warden to stop. He does so and buggers off, so I moved my car into the driveway. After twenty minutes of doing my job, the doorbell rings and no one is expecting anyone, so I go and answer the door.

A man is on the front step. "Excuse me, but is that your car?" he points to mine that is in the driveway. i am close to boiling point, on the verge of shouting at him telling him that I haven't had any problems before parking but now there's a warden after my arse and where I am parking is off the road and not causing any harm to anyone and if they want me to move my car, they'll have to wait until I have finished my job.

I'm about to hurl this at the man after I say "Yes it is" he then smiles at me and says, "My wife and I are looking for that exact model and colour. We love Yaris Verso's. You have a wonderful car. What mileage does it get?"

Astounded, I end up speaking to the man for about 10 minutes on the Yaris Verso, how fast is goes, the room in the back, the extra compartments, how much I pay a week for a full tank and how many miles I get out of it. I'm not plugging the car, I'm not too keen on Yaris myself, hence why I've named my car Stitch from Lilo and Stitch as Dr Jumba classes his creations as "monstrosities" and that's what my car is, a monstrosity. But the man is happy with the information and as I leave the house, I wave to him and his wife who are still admiring my car from the opposite side of the road.

Wow, just wow. Why do these things happen? No idea, but they do and will continue to happen. I just wonder what will happen next...

Loving In Time, is finally lovingly here!

Big proud and cheesy moment that I had my promotional books this morning! I am so thrilled that the first step has been accomplished and it's been forever to achieve!

Pic of me feeling achieved:

So, what next? Well... this is where the second hurdle comes into it. The sales coupled with, the reviews. Now, I got good notes and bad notes from Wattpad and I agreed with most and argued with others, but I have put up all of the good ones on my website, here so feel free to have a look.

I'm not saying I'm the best author/writer and I know that my book isn't for everyone, but I am saying that I am one of the most determined and stubborn people to see this through from start to finish. I've gone through hell and back with my writing, I truly have. The road to publishing is not a smooth one, it's not a short one, it's one that takes forever, that ages you, that weighs you down, that kicks you when you've tripped up, but you just have to pick yourself up, brush yourself down and carry on writing!

You can pre-order a copy of Loving In Time here.


Enjoy!

Free Wattpad Promotion! KURO!

Hello everyone! Once again I'm back, ending the week with a fantastic story from Wattpad! Not only that, you can purchase this brilliant and unique story!

The link to Michael's Wattpad account is here

                                     To be directed to his story, please go here

And to go and have a look at his website, please go here

So, what is KURO all about?

Synopsis:

In a land covered in eternal night, a young girl is all that stands between Mankind and the Forces of Darkness.

What would a world without the Sun be like?

When the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu-ōmikami, vanished under mysterious circumstances a thousand years ago, she left the land of Kuro blanketed in eternal night. Over time, the people of Kuro have learned to harness what remains of Amaterasu’s power: the precious and finite resource known as the Goddess Essence. Kurokyuu Orbs, miracles of modern technology, harvest the Goddess Essence and provide light and power to all. But there is a problem: the Goddess Essence is running out. And it couldn't have come at a worse time.

Whispers abound of a growing evil in the North; stories of shadows that can only be harmed by the light of the sun. From out of the darkness rises Taiyou-Shi, City of the Sun. Light Spires shine through all twenty-four of Taiyou-Shi's hours, providing artificial sunlight for all. Everyone that is, but the residents of the Utter Darkness.

In this forsaken place, Mina, a young orphan, is forced to beg and steal on the streets to sustain herself in the hardscrabble way of life.

In the darkest corners, Marauders lurk, hunting little girls, searching for the one known only as “The Maiden”.

When Mina falls captive to a roving band of Marauders, she is faced with a life-altering decision: reveal the secret she has been hiding her entire life or stay silent and risk losing her already meager existence?

When people die as a result of her inaction, Mina realizes her secret is no longer hers to keep. A secret that lies in a most unusual ability: The power to manifest sunlight...

Brilliant stuff! 

I asked Michael a few questions about himself. Let's see what he had to say!

Name/Wattpad username/Pen name: MichaelLimjoco (incidentally, also my real name).

Country of Origin: United States

Place(s) of inspiration: Countries of Asia (Japan, China, The Philippines, and Korea).

Current finished work(s): Kuro is my first novel

Genre and why you like writing in this genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy. It's a bit of a release writing in this genre for me. Also, I feel I have far more freedom because I'm not bound by any laws (physics, world, etc). I enjoy building worlds.

Published works of inspiration: Game of Thrones, Dune, Lord of the Rings, early Anne Rice novels (her florid writing style was a big inspiration), Weiss and Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles.

Editing process: Professionally edited by Dr. Debra Doyle (published author). Professionally illustrated by Nuriko-kun.

Reaction of friends and family who have read your works: To be honest, only my brother has read my work! He loves it, but is totally biased! My wife hasn't even gotten past chapter 2. But Kuro has been read on WP and Critique Boards (for the last year or so), and has received some good response. Anything planned for the future with your writing: Kuro is a planned trilogy, so I am working on Book 2 at the moment.

Well there you have it folks! Thanks to Michael for his time answering my questions and I wish him all the best for the future!

Free Wattpad Promotion!

Hey Guys! This week I have been promoting Storyaddict from Wattpad!

Go here for their Wattpad user page!

And to see their story, go here!

Name/Wattpad username/Pen name: Storyaddict

Country of Origin: Philippines

Genre and why you like writing in this genre: Teen Fiction, because we mostly can see readers from the age of being a teenager so teen fiction stories bring out  our emotions.. we 

can probably learn something out of it

Reaction of friends and family who have read your works: well, they said it was good but some has errors on it :)

Anything planned for the future with your writing: I really wanted to make a story that has me, potentially writing... I plan to be an author someday but I think I'll start off with writing stories from then and now.

Wattpad FREE Promotion! The City is Silent

Hey guys! This week I have have the pleasure of promoting Midnightaria and her book The City Is Silent

To view her profile, click here or to go straight to her completed story, click here

Here is the summary:

After a car-accident leaves her mother paralysed from the waist-down, Grace isn’t sure if she can ever experience happiness again.

Change is the reason her mother is a different person; the reason her pianist father plays only bitter melodies and why her outgoing-self diminished to an introvert who cannot express herself verbally, but with artistic creations.

The times she spends scrawling in a sketchbook are moments she cherishes most. For that tiny amount of time, her broken life is forgotten -and, as impulsive as any other career decision, Grace knows she wishes to make it her future.

In order to embrace the competitive world of art, however, artists need to repeatedly alter their techniques and skills to match their opponents.

But how can somebody, so afraid of letting go, chase her unstable dreams?


And what about MidnightAria? Let's have a sneak peek at how and why she writes!

Name/Wattpad username/Pen name: Ramisa R or MidnightAria. You are welcome to call me Remy.

Country of Origin: Bangladesh, although I currently reside in the warm glory of Australia (so much sun!)

Place of inspiration: Anywhere, really. I can honestly write whenever or wherever I want, as I believe writing is more subjected to discipline rather than inspiration. However, if we're talking in terms of inspiration, I love reblogging things on tumblr (midnightaria.tumblr.com) of things that inspire me. Sometimes, when I click on my website, I find inspiration. :)

Current finished work(s): Currently, I have completed The City Is Silent and have uploaded it on Wattpad. I plan on completing Violet Ink before the end of this year.

Genre and why you like writing in this genre: The City Is Silent is literary fiction/coming of age fiction. Coming of age will forevermore be my favourite genre. Watching a character differentiate from the beginning of a book to the end (not always in a good way) is beautiful beyond words.

Published works of inspiration: Like the novels I write, I am also extremely fond of the coming-of-age genre. I simply love watching the main character change, in any situation, from the beginning to the end of a book. My favourite authors do just that: Siobhan Dowd, Maureen McCarthy and Kate McCaffrey. My favourite book of all-time is a non-fiction book written in the prose of a narrative (Joan of Arc, Lili Wilkison) which revolve around the actual adventures of Joan of Arc but told in a rich, engaging way.

Editing process: I actually tend not to edit until I've got my first draft, as editing gives me the "writer's doubt" and will result in an uncompleted manuscript.

Reaction of friends and family who have read your works: My family and friends don't read my works. My parents are too busy, and my friends in reality have a life (!). However, my internet friends are wonderful, beautiful supporters --they are my family and friends.

Anything planned for the future with your writing: I plan on writing many novels once my OP (senior years) are over. I am thinking of a main character with a mental illness, a science fiction story questioning humanity and a lighthearted comedy about the life of comedians (while also exploring the darkness in their lives).


Thank you for this opportunity to interview you and for wanting to promote! if anyone hasn't had the chance to check out Wattpad, do so now at www.wattpad.com :)

Have a great day! :)