Bit of this, bit of that

April started off well with the play. No news of the next performance yet. I've settled back into my quiet evenings at home. The beginning of the new season of Game of Thrones has eased my mind a little ;-)

Driving is going absolutely fantastic. Don't get me wrong, I still hate it, but I'm getting more proficient. I get in about three hours practice every week and keep up with my EDT lessons once a fortnight. I have completed seven EDT lessons so far. I need to do another five before I can apply to do my practical test. I really hope to pass first time! Then, it will be plain sailing, hopefully.

Easter came and went. So far over the school holidays, we have gone swimming, fed the ducks in the park, had late movie nights and visited Blackrock. Not very eventful, but we still have half a week to go. Going to squeeze in a few play dates!

Ice cream at the 'Rock'

We're very excited about next weekend. We are going to Bellurgan Park for Vantastival. We are camping for the whole weekend with another family for company. I was just doing my list of essentials today. We camped once last year, you can read about that here. So, I have most of the gear already. We are camping for three nights, but there will be loads of facilities and shops on site for anything we need. 

In writing, I'm out of the ABNA contest. I got two decent reviews from the Viners, so I'm not too disappointed. I have queried a few more agents with DITC. Fingers crossed for a positive result!

I have been working on Allie's Return for Camp NaNo but it has been slow going with distractions from DITC. It still feels unfinished and I keep going back to edit. My brain says to leave it rest and continue with AR, but my fingers click into DITC every time my laptop powers up and I get lost in it!

Time for more coffee and get back to Allie's Return!

Hope you all had a great Easter!

Good morning, from sunny Ireland!

Well, it's over, the play I mean. I had such fun and can't wait till the next time I have that opportunity. Being a single mum means I'm pretty much tied to the house after Beth goes to bed. She stays with her dad one night at the weekend, so the rest of the time I'm on my own. Luckily, my Mum is there for me if there's something I need to do. Of course, I wouldn't be asking her to do that every week (Mum babysat five nights last week, my brother did one). It was liberating to do something that was just for me.

Now, I'm back to normal. Sunday night I didn't really notice as my sister called over, but last night, I was really feeling stuck. It can get awfully lonely. Most of the time I don't notice it. I like to have the remote control to myself. I suppose I'm feeling it more because last week I had the chance to do something different. I forgot what it was like to do things in the evening. On the first day, I walked home at around 7pm, still bright, but with that definite evening feel to the air. It felt wonderful, like I was breaking the rules.

I'll have to go back to writing in the evenings, just to escape this trapped feeling.

Camp NaNo is now a week in and I've no word count to speak of. Going to try to change that today. I've drafted a few ideas on where I want to take the characters, but need to get writing. I want to finish Allie's Return by the end of April. My goal this year is to self-publish both Devil in the Clouds and Allie's Return. DITC could be on Amazon by June, AR by October. Then I'll leave myself free to start a brand new book in November's NaNoWriMo. Sounds straight forward, eh? Hmm...

Right, time to write :-)

Lend Me A Tenor

The Dolmen Theatre Group in Dundalk is putting on Ken Ludwig's Lend Me A Tenor and I am going to be helping out backstage. I haven't helped out with a production since I was pregnant (youth theatre) and haven't done backstage at An Táin Theatre in seven years! I studied theatre in college, but always acted. Someday, I'd like to go back to acting.

I was at rehearsal last night and will be in An Táin every night this week. I really missed being part of a production. I've been involved in this kind of thing since I was thirteen, but, since Beth came along, I haven't had the free time to get back into it. Hopefully, this will be the start of more participation in loads of productions!

Tonight's rehearsal starts at 6pm and tomorrow evening will be the tech rehearsal ahead of Wednesday's opening night. It is hilarious and the actors are sure to bring the house down!

Poster for the play

The only slight snag is that I won't be able to take part in the Dundalk 10k on Wednesday evening. Running is great and all, but I do prefer a little theatre ;-)

St. Patrick's Day in Dundalk and other things

Going to do a photo post today, for something different!

First off, Beth decided a month ago she wanted her hair cut like Coraline (animated kid's movie character). Everyone in the family tried to talk her out of it but she was adamant her baby hair had to go. This was her FIRST EVER hair cut. I was a bit emotional :-(

In Kiddiecuts, where she watched cartoons and was delighted when it was all over.

Having a coffee and juice in Costa after the ordeal

The keepsake!

St. Patrick's Day wouldn't be complete without lots of green tat

Quick game of hide and seek with Pep before the parade

At the parade

My no-make-up-selfie, the craze on Facebook at the moment. Fantastic donations being made to cancer research through this. Text Pink to 50300 (from Ireland) to donate €4

Went to a hen party at the weekend. Made some penis cookies. I think they went down well ;-)

Decorated with strawberry icing and chocolate shavings

Painting a male nude model was one of the activites at the hen

Beth showing off her good behaviour star chart

Two big smiles to finish off!

Cover Reveal for Breathless by Krista McLaughlin

Absolutely delighted to be doing this cover reveal for the lovely Krista!

BREATHLESS by Krista McLaughlin

Book Summary: Eighteen-year-old Lainey is the only witness to her best friend losing her life to the depths of the ocean. She stays close to the water, a small part of her hoping to surrender to the same fate. On her birthday the waters almost overtake her, but a mysterious young man rescues her and disappears.

Lainey can't stop thinking about the stranger from the beach, and one night she finds her rescuer naked and bleeding on the shore. Jon doesn’t know what pancakes taste like, how microwave popcorn cooks, or own shoes, but he seems to be just what Lainey needs. As the anniversary of her friend’s death looms, Lainey opens herself in ways she never thought possible. But when Jon’s identity comes to light, Lainey has to save him before she loses another love to the sea.

Publication Date:  April 1, 2014

About the Author:

Krista McLaughlin graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services, and a minor in English.  She was born and raised in the Midwest with her nose stuck in a book and her hand smeared in pencil lead.  When she is not cuddling with little ones she nannies, she is reading or cross-stitching.  She loves J.R.R. Tolkien and all things Star Trek.

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/kristamclaughlinauthor

Twitter www.twitter.com/kjmclaugh

Website www.kjmclaughlin.com

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4659722.Krista_McLaughlin

Dundalk 10k Fun Run.... Again!

It's been two years since I did the Dundalk 10k Fun Run and I'm about to do it again, in five weeks! I just decided yesterday morning. So, I donned my, now grubby, runners and stepped out into the cold. Well, in fairness, the weather has changed a bit here in Ireland. We are now experiencing something akin to Spring! At long last. It was a bitter Winter.

When I began Weight Watchers back in 2010, running something like this was far from my expectations. In truth, I'm not a very sporty person. I hate contact sport (partaking, not watching because I actually love rugby). P.E. at school was a nightmare for me. We always had to play basketball or volleyball and being short, these things did not come easy to me. However, I really like running. It's just me and my music when I'm training and, when I did the 10k two years ago, the camaraderie was brilliant. Of course, there were people competing for first place but I was no where near that standard! You can find the original post about my first 10k here. Incidentally, when I went to get the link for that post, I noticed the comment below. I had forgotten about it. It's from my Aunt Margaret, who passed away a few months later. Cancer is such a horrible disease.

I'm also hoping to lose about a stone from the training. I've been quite bold lately and need to get back on track. Yesterday I did 2.5km and this morning 2.6km. My thighs are killing me!!

My Weight Watchers gold membership card is mocking me from my wallet!

In other news, Devil in the Clouds is entered into ABNA and I'm back to working on my third novel, Allie's Return. It's like coming home.

I got a new phone yesterday. I was due an upgrade from Three and went with the Samsung Galaxy S4. I love it! I don't know how to use all the features yet but I'm getting there. I've also downloaded the Kindle app and I'm reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I haven't seen the new movie yet but will after I finish the book. I love Leonardo DiCaprio in anything (except Titanic, which in my opinion, almost destroyed his career), so I'm sure I'll like the movie!

Valentine's Day Blues?? Not here ;-)

I’ve been single on Valentine’s Day for five years now. It might actually be longer but my life is a bit of a blur before Beth came along. I can’t remember when exactly I dated some people. There’s only one Valentine’s that really stands out in my mind and that was seven years ago!! It involved roses, chocolates, concert tickets and a gorgeous meal, amongst other things... :-)

This holiday has a tendency to make some single people bitter. In the past, years and years ago BB (Before Beth), I suppose it did annoy me when I was single on this day but I don’t feel like that anymore. It might be because I’m older now or maybe it’s the blonde beauty who lives with me!

If I didn’t have Beth I might feel differently. She treats Valentine’s like Christmas. She has been counting down the ‘big sleeps’ all week and was so excited when I whispered “Happy Valentine’s Day” as she was waking up this morning.

When it comes to being single though, I’m quite happy. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ve been on dates. I’ve tried, and got bored of, online dating. It was so hard to find an actual connection with someone through the internet. Although, after watching ‘her’ with Joaquin Phoenix I may be tempted to try again ;-)

I’m just not very good at sharing my life with someone. I only want a part timer!! Last guy I had a few dates with seemed to suit me but he turned out to be even more afraid of relationships than me! And that’s some feat!!

But, sometimes the little voice inside my head pipes up. I call her ‘The Shoulds’. In a nagging tone she asks me “Shouldn’t you have a partner by now?”, “Shouldn’t you, at 32, be settled, be married or even be planning a wedding?” All of my friends, bar one, are either married, planning a wedding or pregnant. Yet, here I am, the black sheep, single and definitely no buns in my oven and no plans for it either. Is there something wrong with me that I don’t want to relinquish sole custody of the remote control or have everyone stare at me in a white dress while I concentrate on not tripping over my own feet? *shudder*

I do like going on dates though. The anticipation, the butterflies, even the dread. Sitting close but not touching, electricity fizzing in the open space, then the inevitable grazing of cloth followed by thrilling contact sending shivers all over your body. If you’re lucky, a kiss, gentle at first, as the passion builds, swirling, tasting, passionate. Yes, I like dates!