Rae of Light

Over several months now I’ve been using Instafreebie to ensure I’m not spending hundreds of pounds in my bid to complete my Goodreads annual reading challenge. Sometimes the reads are totally amazing. At other times not so much. I was getting irritated by the endless run of so so reads lately, these are the ones which fall into 3 star or below category for me. It made me forget the list of great authors I’ve found through the site so far such as: Helena Rookwood , Devyn Jayse , Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli and Lana Hart . Thankfully I started a book which reminded me that perseverance pays off. It was so good I resolved to share it with you which also got me thinking about a monthly feature. Why the hell not I thought. So I'll be re-featuring the above authors too as well as any others which catch my attention in the coming months. _________________________________________________________ This month’s offering: Seeker by Amy Reece Genre : Paranormal Audience : Y...

A Fortnight in the life of a Writer/Tutor My weekly schedule before the end of exams Since Easter it’s been all go at my Writing HQ, aka the desk in my living room. I’ve been diligently working on the final edits of my upcoming release. Meanwhile I’ve still had to maintain tutoring commitments as well as my obligations to Inkhead. In the midst of all this I attempted to continue my Italian studies via Duolingo. Around the beginning of May the charity I teach at asked for 6 weeks of detailed lesson planning so they can comply with their application for DFE status. While not difficult to do, as any teacher knows, this is incredibly labour intensive. So glad to say I’ve finally finished that lot. However, as I’m the one and only English tutor it also falls to me to plan next year’s curriculum. My work is not yet done. Onward. To add to my May and June tutoring load, my less confident GCSE students requested extra tuition sessions as their exams were looming. Thankfu...

The release of the prequel to Six Dead Men is looming (a month and a half to go) and my Writing Group has become a screeching monkey on my back. Every time I go to the group they demand even more edits. So just when I think I’m making significant headway and will be ready to send a final copy off to my Advance Reader Team, I’m back to snipping away at the novella. At this rate it’s going to be a narrative poem. But the truth of the matter is I love this interaction. Earlier this year, when I had to forego my sessions with the group due to family commitments, I went through withdrawal and began to edge towards malaise. And it wasn’t because of the lack of snacks and drinks so kindly provided by the host of the evening. This group is the perfect fit for me. They challenge me. I’ve been in groups where reviewers have oohed and aahed about my writing. As gratifying as that was, the feeling always lasted for as long as it took me to drive home. Deep down I always knew the wo...