Fairy Hanny

Another adventure for Fairy Hanny

I can’t let a week go by without a little bit of self publicity! I corrected the misprint on the back cover, so you missed you chance to get a unique copy!

Hanny is still the heroine, despite the shenanigans of Ken Tucky and Wayne Downe, the two Elfs of some renown. They speak Elvis – thank you very much!

The First Adventure of Fairy Hanny is still available on Amazon. However that will soon be updated too, as I now use a new email address to access KDP. It will also mean a new cover too.

I am now learning how to link the books as a series on Amazon, though I am not 100% sure I will do it properly. I will keep you updated.

Meanwhile checkout Strange Things From Uranus. It is a very funny story. When I originally wrote it I didn’t see the link between my title and that wonderful American expression STFU!

Stay focused

I’ve been reading a lot recently about motivation, inspiration and focus. I’ve also been thinking a lot about my past, missed opportunities and some of the crazy things I’ve said and done.

Now I am forgiving myself so I can move forward with my writing, teaching and online business. That might explain why this meme appealed to me;

Just do it!

Today I was talking with an old friend about creativity. She had just had an argument with her mother along the lines of ‘why don’t you get a real job’.

Anna is an artist I met in Almaty. We have been friends for almost 8 years now. She is planning 6 new exhibitions this year, now that covid restrictions are lifting in Kazakhstan. I am working on three new books! We talked about the way many of the people in my past ridiculed my desire to write, telling me to just be happy as a teacher.

The funny thing is, I am happy as a teacher. And I also love creative writing! I have two books on Amazon, and there will be more by the end of this year. I have my heroine, Fairy Hanny, who lives in a strange world of Elf’s, Pixy’s, trolls and time travellers. I also have the black humour of my crime series, Inspector Hunter Flaange and his partner Jason Beaver. Then I have my travel diaries from Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Azerbaijan. Plus the semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in the 70’s, 80′, and now, called Going to California.

I found this quote from DailyMotivation. I wish I had it 30 years ago.

“You have to believe that you can do it. Out of all the obstacles you will face in your life, a lack of belief in yourself is the biggest one.

Unless you believe in your abilities, you will limit yourself no matter how great the opportunities are around you.

Being confident gives you a feeling of certainty that you’ll figure it out somehow and make the situation work for you. Choose to be confident.

You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. Take the moment and make the best of it.”

A friend of mine from Kazakhstan has just had to give up her job. She was working in a big restaurant in Dubai, and has now returned to Almaty to look after her mother. Over the last few years Mom’s eyesight has been deteriorating. Now she is completely blind. Manshuk has taken Mom to various hospitals and even went to see a German Ophthalmologist who was working at a clinic in Astana.

Nothing is working, and there is no cure.

I found this quote as a way to help Manshuk through these tough times.

“Things can change for the better very quickly. Don’t get discouraged because of what you’re going through right now. You do have the strength to keep on living.

Life will give you a chance to smile again. Trust that life has more in store for you than just sadness and misery.

Shift your focus from the paralyzing negative thoughts to helpful thoughts that calm you down. Let go of things you cannot control.

Remaining hopeful is a practice. Open up to the possibility of positive change.

There is a whole world waiting for you on the other side of pain.

Good things are coming.”

Am I getting stressed?

Ok I am back in the UK, and I have a temporary job as a College Lecturer, teaching basic Mathematics. Now I am looking ahead to the next academic year. What should I do? Should I hope for an extension of this contract or secure another International Post?

Thailand looks good…

Anyway, I thought I would share another idea from the daily Motivation team. This is a problem I have with strangers. I either clam up and say nothing, or I give them my life story in 2 minutes!

Let me know what you think.

“Feelings of anxiety, poor boundaries, or attempting to be more relatable can lead to oversharing. Talking impulsively can have some unpleasant consequences.

You might say the wrong thing, or make other people feel awkward by sharing intimate details of your life.

Moreover, excessive self-disclosure to the wrong person can lead them to take advantage of you. Be mindful and embrace whatever each moment brings with a calm attitude.

Active listening will allow you to pay attention to social cues and be more aware of how people are reacting.”

Cut down on what you worry about each day.

Very few things actually matter in life. Simply focus on those things and let everything else go.

Worrying about things you have no control over disrupts your overall wellbeing and erodes your life satisfaction. Decide what matters to you right now.

Protect your peace by controlling your attitude and the things you tell yourself.

Each day, take time to be still and reflect on different aspects of your life so you never lose sight of what truly matters to you.

Trans Uranic Elements

Don’t forget, this is still available on Amazon. Get it before I do the update on the jacket blurb. There is a spelling mistake, so if you get it now you will get the rare copy!

The Dark Side of Uranus https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09SL7VMXB?psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

Thought for today

I’ve been working a lot on my latest book in the Fairy Hanny series, so I took my eye away from my blogs. Suddenly a few weeks have gone and nothing has been submitted.

Then I started to get some emails in saying ‘daily motivation’ and I thought it would be a good idea to share some of them. Here we go…

“Life never stops moving. Every stage of your life will push you to adapt and grow. You can’t really go back to your old self.

You may retain some aspects of your old self, but you have to acknowledge that you’re not the same person anymore.

The experiences you have gone through have shifted you from who you used to be. Focus on growing from the lessons learned and embracing who you are now.

Develop a sense of gratitude for how things are in the present.

Honour your journey.”

TransUranic Elements:The Dark Side of Uranus

When I was very young I heard this song being played on an LP by Steeleye Span. (For the youngsters -LP means Long Playing vinyl record.) It stuck in my head and many years later came out as part of my inspiration for this second book featuring Fairy Hanny. It is an old English folk song. Bedlam was the name given to Bethlem Royal Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in London. It was deemed a hospital for the insane in the fifteenth century, though these days we would say it deals with people who have extreme mental health issues.

At one time wealthy people would pay to visit the hospital to watch the lunatics, a sad case of modern day car crash addictions. Google Bedlam to find out more.

Bedlam boys

For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam, 10,000 years I’d travel
Mad Magdalene goes on dirty toes, to save her shoes from gravel.