A Milestone!

Today I am taking a little time out from writing to reflect on life and relationships, because next week, I will be fifty.

I have been calm and crazy about this idea in turns. I admit that being fifty is better than being dead, but that's about as much as can be said for it. Let's be honest, unless I can reach at least 100, then I am already more than half way through my life. I almost want to stay up until 3am every night and rise again at 6, just so that I can squeeze every last drop of living from every day. But if I actually did that, I wouldn't be around for very long...

Yes, it's a milestone, an achievement. There are plenty of poor souls who never get this far in life. And it's wonderful to see my three, lovely children growing up, becoming daily more independent. I just hope that as the years pass, I will continue to have a place in their increasingly busy lives.

My life is good. I have a job that I adore and because there is time left at the end of my working day, I now have another job, doing social media for some very well-known places and faces [don't ask because I can't tell]. And that too is fun. So it's all good.

As for the house - well it's coming along. Still slowly and still with one step forwards and at times two backwards. That was certainly the case the other day, when my outside tap burst and there was literally water everywhere. But I guess that too is part and parcel of trying to do up a dilapidated wreck of a place.

But I started this post to talk about relationships. Recently it has become very clear to me that things need to change, so I have set things in motion. I have joined a friendship group, not for romance but to meet men and women who actually enjoy doing the things I do - so much better than dragging a reluctant partner along to things they don't want to attend.

So if when you are out and about, you see a crazy woman dancing  like a loon and having a ball with a big group of people, come and say hello - for it will most likely be me.

Happy Reading!

Bare faced cheek

And now for a subject which fascinates me - to be made up, or not to be made up?

Most days I don't wear make up. I really should, as I am about to be 50. But until now, I have been fortunate enough not to really need the stuff unless I have had an exceptionally late night the previous evening. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that my appearance wouldn't have been improved without the odd bit of 'slap' but that rather I didn't feel the absolute necessity to use it.

However as a society we are obsessed with the idea of celebs going make-up free. And I have to ask why. Generally speaking, whilst I wouldn't dream of attending something or having a night out minus make-up, I don't see the need to plaster myself in it, just to buy dog food or walk the dogs.

There are whole webpages dedicated to showing celebs minus make-up, either in a positive or negative light. Quite frankly, if the said celebrities are under the age of forty, they should look good with or without makeup. Youth = youthful skin, and believe me, no amount of expensive creams or serums can give you back elasticity when it's gone.

So why are we so fascinated with these images? I think because it's a chance to see the 'real' person beneath the paint, so if that's your thing then go on, knock yourself out.

http://www.stylebistro.com/Barefaced+Beauties+-+Celebrities+Without+Makeup/articles

I write like...

During Monday's talk, I mentioned a programme which uses some sort of algorithm to decide which famous writer or writers you write like.

If you scroll down this blog and click on the tag which states 'analysis' you can read the excerpts I used and what the outcomes were, but should you wish to take the text yourself, then here is the link.

 http://iwl.me/

The snippet below is taken from the book I am currently working on, where the main character believes Hugh Grant is his father.

His fingers trembled with a mixture of anticipation and fear as once more he typed in his father’s name. This time the plethora of images and references to his dad did not faze him. He found what he was looking for quickly and clicked on the tab.

Slowly he read the article to the end and then went right back to the beginning, reading it again, taking time to chew on the information before he interrogated himself to find out how he felt about it.

Hugh Grant had fathered another three children! Two boys and a girl, meaning that now Lucas had two younger half-brothers and a little half-sister. Neither of the two women who had borne him children were engaged or even married to him. He was as single now as he had been when Lucas was conceived. Surely this mean that his heart still ached for his one true love? That no woman could compare to the charms of Anna Pertwee?

Belatedly he wondered if his mother knew about her rivals for his dad’s affections. Did she know he had had other children? Was this just part of the secrecy? Part of the reason she was adamant that no good could come of him knowing his father?

There is a long way to go yet before this book is finished but I promise to keep you updated. In the meantime, check out The Owners volumes I-IV, available on Amazon.

Happy reading :)