#WordlessWednesday Full Moon #Haiku #London

Black and white spires pierce
Inky London night skies,
Lost in promised land.
****

Moonlit Thames waters
Memories of drowned mermaids
Missing London town
****

#MondayMotivation #Haiku Waxing Crescent #Moon

Waxing crescent moon

Keeper of untold wishes

Silently swelling

****

#Friday Skywatch #Autumn #Haiku

Autumn

Season of mists and

Stormy skies, teasing the sun.

The battle begins.

****

After a long, lazy summer of sun, sea-side, beachwear and flip flops, reality takes over, work, responsibilities, first storms, jumpers and raincoats…

I’m struggling to embrace autumn again, preparing for another cold winter.

How are you adapting to the change of season?

Any tips to ease the transition?

#SaturdayNight Street Lights #Tanka

Street lights shine like stars,
You can dance your life away,
Never feel the cold,
Even run away from time,
While you play the masquerade.
****
Inspired by the song ‘Street Life’ sung by Randy Crawford with The Crusaders.

https://youtu.be/dRBYsINSUZ0

#SilentSunday #Sunsets #Haiku

Furious, grey sky

Holds September’s first rainfall.

Tomorrow, who knows?

#WordlessWednesday Sunrise and Sunset at the #Beach

This is the reason I’m not blogging much at the moment, but I’ll be back soon!

I hope you’re having a restful and inspiring summer❤

#6WordStory ‘Alarm Off. Beach On. Let’s Holiday!’ #Fuengirola #Spain #SkywatchFriday

Find out more about Six-Word Story Challenge.

Join in with Skywatch Friday,

#IWSG Avoiding Pitfalls @TheIWSG #amwriting #WWWBlogs

This post was written in response to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group monthly (first Wednesday of every month) blog hop to where writers express thoughts, doubts and concerns about our profession.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The co-hosts for the August 1 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe,Sandra Hoover, Lee Lowery, and Susan Gourley!

August 1 question – What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

The single best piece of advice I’d give an author, especially an author who is aiming to self-publish, is to find a good editor.

It seems obvious. I mean, everyone knows that, don’t they?

It also seems easy. I mean, there are plenty of editors out there, aren’t there?

Yes, to both, but authors can still make mistakes. I did.

When I finished my first novel, I found an editor via Goodreads. She was recommended by another editor an author I knew had hired, and she was reasonably priced.

I thought I’d got it right, until another editor, who saw my book, which had been accepted for review on Rosie’s Book Review Team, read my novel and pointed out some / too many errors in the first few chapters.

Most were punctuation, but not all. I’m useless at commas. I actually have nightmares with them, so I was relieved that an editor/proof reader had gone through my manuscript, but it hadn’t been done thoroughly.

I’ll forever be grateful to Alison Williams for pointing out these errors in my novel and for her patience and advice while editing the following two novels.

An author knows and expects that not every reader will enjoy their novel, for numerous reasons, style, characters, plot, etc. and that’s acceptable and to be expected, but what is unacceptable is to have editing errors.

All novels whether self-published or traditionally published should be professionally edited.

There are many editors available, and I’m really not an expert on finding the right one, I was just lucky I found her, or rather she was kind enough to find me, just a few a months after I published All Hallows at Eyre Hall, in May 2014.

I cringe when I think of those few months when my novel wasn’t in perfect condition. The good news is that amazon makes it really quick and easy to update your new version for both kindle and print.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to like and/or leave a comment 🙂

What about you, what pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid before publication?

Follow Luccia Gray on Social Media:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Check out Luccia Gray’s Books on Amazon

#TuesdayBookBlog ‘Something in the Water’ by Catherine Steadman #Amreading #Bookreviews #Thriller

**Today I’m reviewing Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman.**

Blurb

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events.

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman’s enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

****

My Review

Something In the Water is an absolutely brilliant crime thriller set in the UK.

The novel is narrated in first person by Erin, a documentary film maker. The first chapter is a shocking scene of Erin burying someone in the woods, and then the narrative goes back three months to Mark and Erin’s anniversary and moves forward gradually to the present time.

The first part of the novel is a slow burn, as we find out how the couple met, over five years earlier, and what their first years together were like as a happy young, professional couple working hard, making money and enjoying life.

The novel picks up a faster pace when they decide to get married, shortly after Mark, who works in banking, loses his job, and they go on honeymoon to Bora Bora, where they accidentally become involved in international crime.

The rest of the novel rushes full speed ahead as Erin tells us how their lives are turned upside down and their relationship deteriorates as a result.

The ending, where matters escalate, is unexpected and disastrous. I felt as devastated as Erin by the outcome of their dilemma, and yet she was lucky enough to have friends in the right places, so the disaster was not as bad as it could have been, for her.

There is a hopeful, but open ending, which was a great way to round off the novel. I’m even tempted to imagine there may be a sequel…

I listened to the audio book, and the fact that the author, Catherine Steadman, who is also a fabulous actress, is the narrator was an added bonus.

Something in the Water is an enthralling read, at the beach, at the pool, at home, on the train, or wherever you happen to be this summer.

Lovers of suspenseful crime thrillers will not be disappointed.

I’m impatiently looking forward to Catherine Steadman’s next novel.

****

Something in the Water was published by Ballantine Books in June 2018, and it’s already on the bestseller lists.

Find out more and check out other reviews on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

****

About Catherine Steadman

Catherine Steadman is an actress and writer based in North London, UK. She is best known for her role as Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey and is currently filming on the new Starz television series ‘The Rook’. She grew up in the New Forest, UK, and lives with a small dog and an average sized man. Something in the Water is her first novel.

****

Follow Luccia Gray on Social Media:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Check out Luccia Gray’s Books on Amazon

#SilentSunday Full Red Moon #Haiku

Full moon wants some fun

Slowly slides on new red robe

Dressed for summer ball.

Full Moon seen in Munich on Friday 27th July

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

The single best piece of advice I’d give an author, especially an author who is aiming to self-publish, is to find a good editor.

It seems obvious. I mean, everyone knows that, don’t they?

It also seems easy. I mean, there are plenty of editors out there, aren’t there?

Yes, to both, but authors can still make mistakes. I did.

When I finished my first novel, I found an editor via Goodreads. She was recommended by another editor an author I knew had hired, and she was reasonably priced.

I thought I’d got it right, until another editor, who saw my book, which had been accepted for review on Rosie’s Book Review Team, read my novel and pointed out some / too many errors in the first few chapters.

Most were punctuation, but not all. I’m useless at commas. I actually have nightmares with them, so I was relieved that an editor/proof reader had gone through my manuscript, but it hadn’t been done thoroughly.

I’ll forever be grateful to Alison Williams for pointing out these errors in my novel and for her patience and advice while editing the following two novels.

An author knows and expects that not every reader will enjoy their novel, for numerous reasons, style, characters, plot, etc. and that’s acceptable and to be expected, but what is unacceptable is to have editing errors.

All novels whether self-published or traditionally published should be professionally edited.

There are many editors available, and I’m really not an expert on finding the right one, I was just lucky I found her, or rather she was kind enough to find me, just a few a months after I published All Hallows at Eyre Hall, in May 2014.

I cringe when I think of those few months when my novel wasn’t in perfect condition. The good news is that amazon makes it really quick and easy to update your new version for both kindle and print.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to like and/or leave a comment 🙂

What about you, what pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid before publication?

Rate this:

Share this:

Today I’m reviewing Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman.

Blurb

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

****

My Review

Something In the Water is an absolutely brilliant crime thriller set in the UK.

The novel is narrated in first person by Erin, a documentary film maker. The first chapter is a shocking scene of Erin burying someone in the woods, and then the narrative goes back three months to Mark and Erin’s anniversary and moves forward gradually to the present time.

The first part of the novel is a slow burn, as we find out how the couple met, over five years earlier, and what their first years together were like as a happy young, professional couple working hard, making money and enjoying life.

The novel picks up a faster pace when they decide to get married, shortly after Mark, who works in banking, loses his job, and they go on honeymoon to Bora Bora, where they accidentally become involved in international crime.

The rest of the novel rushes full speed ahead as Erin tells us how their lives are turned upside down and their relationship deteriorates as a result.

The ending, where matters escalate, is unexpected and disastrous. I felt as devastated as Erin by the outcome of their dilemma, and yet she was lucky enough to have friends in the right places, so the disaster was not as bad as it could have been, for her.

There is a hopeful, but open ending, which was a great way to round off the novel. I’m even tempted to imagine there may be a sequel…

I listened to the audio book, and the fact that the author, Catherine Steadman, who is also a fabulous actress, is the narrator was an added bonus.

Something in the Water is an enthralling read, at the beach, at the pool, at home, on the train, or wherever you happen to be this summer.

Lovers of suspenseful crime thrillers will not be disappointed.

I’m impatiently looking forward to Catherine Steadman’s next novel.

****

Something in the Water was published by Ballantine Books in June 2018, and it’s already on the bestseller lists.

Find out more and check out other reviews on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

****

About Catherine Steadman

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

**Today I’m reviewing Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman.**