Jane Austen’s birthday rapidly approaches in December and rather the way that Christmas stirs the hearts of millions, so does ‘anything Austen’. What I have been introduced to with the Austen Games takes appreciation of ‘anything Austen’ to a whole new level. Intrigued, curious, I contacted the ideas-people in New York and Connecticut and quizzed them on this startling and highly interactive concept.
Most readers know of the power of the phoenix, its ability to re-create itself out of flame in a dire situation. 
Lizzy Ford’s life has been filled with such darkness but her unerring strength is her ability to be reborn, to struggle on, to reinvent… better and stronger ever time. Lizzy is one of my fellow Indie chicks and I leave her to tell you her story.
In the past, I’ve done a couple of posts on old books that are in my home library. I went waaaay back the other day and opened the bottom of the cedar bookcase to look at my children’s books and found my first ever cardboard book
, a brightly illustrated Golly and Teddy story with obligatory spiral binding (circa 1951). It’s actually coped with the rigours of usage quite well, perhaps due to the thickness of the cardboard (NB: and of course Gollies are now politically incorrect.)
I first met Jennifer Stevenson
in a Bookclub online… she’s always made me smile with some of her witty comment and when I asked if she’d jump in the Red Chair for interrogation, she agreed. Her early life in swamp country in the USA brings archtypical images to mind and I needed to know more.
On House…
There is a little place by the sea that we call House.
Those who know me know that it is the place in which I feel most comfortable. That it is where I am content.
How is it that a place can make you feel so? Those who study the human psyche say that one should feel confident and happy anywhere, that being anchored to one place is unhealthy and shows lack of resilience and strength.
the second of the Indie chicks to reveal herself online. I leave her to tell you her story:I was researching some detail for Gisborne yesterday and on a wonderful site, Writing the Medieval World, they had used an image for one post from 
Très Riches Heures by the Limbourg Brothers for the Duc de Berry.
As you know, I was invited to join a special project called the Indie Chicks. It’s an anthology of true inspirational stories from 25 female indie authors (as well as a sample of one of each woman’s books). All the proceeds (every bit) are being donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help support their search for the cure to breast cancer.
A Thousand Glass Flowers is giving me the time of my life. Initially it took off like a rocket on Kindle on Amazon.com and then I signed with a digital publishing group called MWiDP for Amazon.co.uk. Last week I was rattling away on Facebook that I was excited ATGF had managed a .co.uk #ranking at least once a week for the four weeks that I had been on MWiDP’s lists. Anything from #15 onward!
We scattered Milo’s ashes today.
Lest you not know who Milo is… he is/was my beloved fifteen year old Jack Russell terrier who died of cancer a month ago.
Milo the Magnificent
