Rae of Light

The Witch Adoption Project , the cheeky little fantasy upstart won the battle of the genres. Scifi fans were just not fast enough with their trigger fingers to topple this young lady from her perch on high. She will now be the WIP I work on for next year once Palindrome is published this summer. The main battle was fought on my Facebook page and she won by 31 votes. Here is her successful plea to the public. As you can see, she shamelessly used her youth to pull the voters in. Hi there My name is THE WITCH ADOPTION PROJECT and I'm a WIP sitting in a folder on Rae's laptop. I want more out of life. I don't want to stay a draft forever more. I want to be published. So I'm appealing to you dear followers to support my cause and vote for me. Yes I'm young. Yes I'm precocious. But age is only good for wine and cheese. I'm neither. The rest is now up to you. You know what you have to do. The Witch Adoption Project is the seq...

#Review: THE RED RIBBON by Rachel Ledge 2 Stars for lack of enjoyment due to frustration This book won a Grand Prize in the Clue Awards so I was excited to see what it had to offer. The plot sounded engaging – set in 1773, a young woman (Julia) from a privileged background struggles to return to a normal existence after the murder of her best friend. To complicate matters, Julia’s fiancé has been found guilty of the murder and awaits execution while Julia still harbours feelings for him despite the fact she has married his best friend. Another problem she faces is a headstrong younger sister who is intent on ignoring the advice of her elders. The opening was very confusing. Initially it was difficult to establish which character was which when it came to the two sisters. Nor were matters helped by the constant shift between modern and archaic language. Even before I was 9% into the reading several proof reading and editing issues had already reared their heads: shi...

So you’ve always wanted to be friends with a writer. But you’re a bit intimidated. You’re worried we’ll be all sneery because you only got an E on your English GSCE or we'll insist you’re outrageously well read before looking your way. You’re thinking we spout words which require constant thumbing through a dictionary or demand you listen to every plot we’ve ever come up with. Well you couldn’t be more wrong. I’m here to tell you we make the very best friends you can get. So it’s in your interest to find one of us, tempt us into your life with juicy little treats and foster a loyal and potentially lifelong buddy. A writer is a person of many parts. All these can be nurtured and brought to the fore for which ever situation demands it. So here’s what you need to know. Sometimes we’re off with our heads in the clouds and don’t appear to be listening. It’s not true. We’re multi-tasking, taking in your every word, storing it away for a rainy day writing session in which...

I’ve been avoiding Carnegie Library ever since Lambeth Council announced its so called re-opening a month ago. My brain and heart knew the announcement for the spin it so obviously was. This morning I was forced into the ravaged listed building to attend a meeting. As a representative of the literacy charity Ruskin Readers I went to find out if there’s any hope of this ousted community group eventually returning to Carnegie Library. Standing in the icy entry way I have serious doubts. Once beyond the swing doors my fears are not allayed. This is what the council considers a viable library: the repetitive resounding rattle and rumble of a digger in the garden, the central area covered in a range of books stacked on shelves, a small area housing 6 or so computer terminals, sets of tables and chairs in the round, a couple of automated book issue machines, a photocopier/printer and security guards. “So where are the librarians?” You ask.  Well you’ll have to ring a numbe...

#Review: The Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer by Demelza Carlton 4 stars for concept 2 stars for execution At the start of the book we are introduced to the two central characters: Caitlin Lockyer and Nathan. The opening is successful as it draws the reader in due to intrigue. The story is told from Nathan’s perspective and we see his reaction to unfolding events and hear his inner thoughts. Nathan’s narration is interspersed with separate chapters outlining Caitlin’s nightmares. This is where I feel problems creep in as the format begins to feel too repetitive. It could have benefited from interspersing with nuggets of Nathan’s backstory – just enough to further beguile the reader. The further into the story you get the less this format grates as the reasons for Caitlin’s trauma are gradually revealed. The suspense does however feel rather forced. In a novel of this type there is always the need to create tension but then there’s the danger of a writing tric...

Adverts! I hate them. I truly do. The only purpose they serve as far as I’m concerned is providing time enough to make a cup of tea or endure another hated activity – washing up. The length between adverts on some channels is long enough to complete a mountainous sinkful and make a brew. The only thing which will halt my automatic move to the kitchen when these abominations hit the small screen is an engaging one. They are few and far between. So far this year only two have managed to capture my attention enough and keep my bum attached to the sofa. But I’m not going to tell you which ones they are just yet. Instead I’m going to keep you guessing whilst reviewing the ones I find annoying. Let’s begin with perfume ads. Is it just me or are they weird? I always fail to see the point of them and am often very confused by what it is they’re wanting me to feel or imagine. Perhaps I fail to be engaged since I’ve used the same perfume for years and plan on doing so well into th...