Author Archives: penelopefriday

About penelopefriday

Writer, Editor, Proof-reader. More fun than that makes me sound :)

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

I haven’t done this in a while, so I was determined to do it today, even though there hasn’t been a lot happening in my life, which makes it rather awkward! Still, here goes:

  1. I’ve been horribly unwell, but my family are being wonderful about helping out. I’m so appreciative.
  2. I happened to be on Amazon recently and noticed that The Sisterhood had a number of really positive reviews. It’s so nice that a book which I put a lot into is being appreciated.
  3. We have a Christmas tree! It isn’t decorated yet, but its existence is making me happy.
  4. I’m in discussions about cover design for Love Plus One, which is really exciting and makes it all seem so much more real and soon!
  5. Talking of which, I’ve passed on One Plus One, the second book in the series (which is, slightly oddly, perhaps, a prequel), to my editor and I’m waiting to hear what she thinks. Fingers crossed!
  6. I’ve read some really interesting stories recently. It does make such a difference to being ill in bed if you have something decent (or indecent, but good 😉 ) to read.

Satisfied… Sunday… Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

Um, oops – a day late this week 🙂 I was out at the football yesterday, with the added bonus of the coach having a flat battery, so our drive home was somewhat delayed.

  1. On the other hand – I was at the football yesterday! Considering how little I get out, this is extremely exciting. Plus my team (Charlton Athletic) actually won, so hurrah!
  2. In more writerly news, I finished an article this week and submitted it, which is pleasing, given the time I’ve had recently.
  3. And Love Plus One has gone through the proof-reading stage, so we’re nearly at the final moments with that, which is terribly thrilling!
  4. My friends and family are being so wonderful about supporting me. I honestly don’t know how I’d manage without them. Guys, I am so grateful to you all. (For those who don’t know – when I say “I don’t get out much” what I mean is, I’m literally bed bound for 90% of the time at the moment, so yes. Support is [a] needed but [b] so very appreciated.)
  5. Oh, I had a school parents’ meeting this week to talk about Splendid Son with his teacher. This was possibly the most enjoyable thing ever, as it was basically ten minutes of his teacher telling me how wonderful my child was in every possible way. Honestly, I don’t think there is any greater pleasure in life for a parent than that! (It even made up for the OTHER flat battery of the week, when my car refused to start and get us home from the school…)
  6. I have started my Christmas shopping, which is always pleasing. I love buying presents!

Satisfied Saturday Six

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  1. So, I missed writing last week, so I might not have pointed out my latest article on Harry Potter trivia to all and sundry. Yay? Yay.
  2. I’ve also done a little bit of writing after a couple of weeks of blankness. Not much, but it’s an improvement on nothing, and I’ll take that!
  3. Ooh, I had my hair cut on Monday (not as short as I intended, but the hairdresser had ideas of his own, and I do as I’m told), and then managed to dye it blue (intentionally!) so I am cheered up by the way that is looking.
  4. I had a nice, albeit quiet, Samhain celebration with Splendid Son. Happy Celtic New Year, folks!
  5. I dabble in fanfiction occasionally, and someone asked permission to translate something I wrote into Russian, which is very flattering.
  6. Last Saturday, I watched Charlton Athletic win against Chesterfield (football). It was the first time this season that Splendid Son and I (we’re season ticket holders, though we can’t go every time) had seen a win, so it was splendid!

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

This is a very low key six, as it’s been an extremely low key sort of week 🙂

  1. I haven’t actually done much writing this week, so I suppose I can celebrate the fact that I’ve had a bit of a rest from everything!
  2. I’ve taken the opportunity to set up for doing other things as well – ordered some felt tip pens so I can do some colouring in, and sorted out some reading matter.
  3. I had a doctor’s appointment this week, and although there aren’t any answers to most of my health problems, the fact that the GP is prepared to work with me to try and improve whatever’s improvable is a good thing.
  4. We decided on Splendid Son’s choices of Secondary School and have submitted the form, so this is all out of the way. There’s now no news until March, when we’ll hear whether he’s got into the school we’d like him to attend, so we have a rest from all that.
  5. When I’ve been struggling, friends and family have been around to support me and encourage me. I don’t really know how to express what a difference that makes, but I appreciate you all! Thank you.
  6. Oh! The tomato plant which I was given has produced two tiny tomatoes. I am quite out of proportion pleased, as I tend not to have a good effect on plant life 🙂

Satisfied Saturday Six

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Well, it’s been A Bit Of A Week, but there have been some fabulous things this week, too.

 

  1. I had visitors last weekend – one of my closest friends came to stay with her family. We’ve been good friends for over a decade, ever since our children – about a month different in age – were babies. However, thanks to the fact that she lives on the other side of the world, we’d never actually met in person before. It was simply amazing to get to spend time with her finally.
  2. Splendid Son has managed to pass an exam which means that his choice of secondary school (the school he will attend from age 11-18) is much improved. I have a great objection to the system of deciding whether children are academic achievers or not at the age of 10-11, but given that it exists in my area, I’m delighted that Splendid Son was so successful.
  3. My article about Plot Holes In Harry Potter has been translated into Italian. By Cosmo magazine, no less! I’m famous!
  4. Third, and I hope final, edits on Love Plus One complete. We should be on for the publication of the novel now…
  5. Thank goodness for our National Health Service. I’m grateful to live in Britain sometimes, and when I ended up in Accident and Emergency on Sunday evening and they dealt with me fast and well… that was one of those occasions. Thank you to all the people I saw.
  6. I’m hoping to write more articles about Harry Potter (one on trivia coming up at some point… watch this space…) which is exciting. Out of a matter of interest, what would anyone like to read about? Tell me! I’ll see if I can pitch it 🙂

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

  1. I’m in the process of writing another article about Harry Potter, which is making me exceptionally cheerful. I could spend all my time thinking about the world of Harry Potter. Hmm, actually…
  2. Getting really excited about going to Amsterdam on Monday. I’ve never been – and it’s very flat, so it should be reasonably wheelchair friendly, which is always A Thing.
  3. Because life is made up of little triumphs, I feel I should celebrate the fact that Splendid Son’s wellies still fit him. He hasn’t worn them for ages but needs them for his own school holiday next week. I thought we’d have to go on an emergency welly-boot expedition, which given my energy levels was not something I was wildly enthused by – but we don’t! Hurrah!
  4. Our microwave finally gave up the ghost this week, about a year after my sister told me that it was the most appalling thing she’d ever seen (or words to that effect). I successfully bought and installed (plugged in!) a new one, and feel thoroughly accomplished.
  5. Umm… wow, this is a difficult week for this! The weather has been slightly cooler, which means that spending hours and hours tucked up in bed with my two cats has been rather lovely. I tried to take a picture of them cuddling – my ginger boy had one of his legs tucked around my spotty girl – but they wanted to know what the hell I was doing, and moved at the vital moment!
  6. I’m exploring going to Greece at Easter, which is apparently an outrageous plan, but we seem (slowly) to be getting somewhere with finding options. Holidays are good.

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

 

Well. I have been missing for a dreadfully long time, for which I apologise. Health things have been troubling me – I’m currently spending the vast (vast) majority of my time in bed, and the time outside that is spent doing rather dull tasks so it’s been difficult to think of things to say! (And time when I’m awake and not doing dull tasks in which to say them…) However, though things have not wildly improved, I’m going to attempt to get back into keeping in touch and I thought a nice Satisfied Saturday Six would be a good way to get things going again.

  1. I wrote an article which came out this week 🙂 It was about Harry Potter (if you didn’t know I was a total fangirl, you do now!), and the new things we’ve found out since the books came out. No real spoilers for Cursed Child or Fantastic Beasts, incidentally. And not nearly as much about the next generation (Harry et al’s kids) as there could have been…
  2. Although my physical health is… well, the less said about it the better, really… my mental health is unexpectedly good. I am holding up well, which is extremely pleasing. Trust me, as someone who’s had both physical and mental illnesses, I’d take the former over the latter. (Hint to body: I’d rather not have either.)
  3. I’m currently doing the second round of edits for Love Plus One, which will hopefully come out in January with Nine Star Press. I’m so excited about this book, I really can’t tell you. PLUS (have I mentioned this before?) it’s the first in a series about these characters (I hope), so there’s more to come…
  4. Splendid Son has had an interesting couple of weeks. He turned 11 the week before last, and took an exam which will determine where he spends his next seven years going to school, so that’s quite a major thing. We also found out that he unexpectedly passed (very well) a tenor horn exam which he strongly believed he’d failed, so that’s been pleasing news.
  5. Lovely Partner and I are going to Amsterdam in less than ten days time. Given the health problems, goodness knows how this is going to work, but I’m really looking forward to it anyway! It will be lovely to get away with just the two of us for a bit.
  6. (Wow, this is hard when you haven’t been doing anything! Goodness!) Ooh, and I’m also looking forward to having a friend and her family come and stay in a couple of weeks’ time! I’ve known her for more than a decade, but thanks to the fact that she usually lives on the other side of the world, we’ve never previously met. I absolutely can’t wait for her to visit!

All About The Boy OUT TODAY!!!

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Hurrah, my antho All About The Boy is released today.

 

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Three smokin’ hot m/m erotic stories, with added kink for good measure, as I chatted to JL Merr0w about the other day. And then today, I have been talking to Gillian St. Kevern about writing short stories (she too was kind enough to host me – thank you very much, Gillian!)

Plus, it has its first review, from Boy Meets Boy! Let’s just say, they seemed to appreciate it – and they liked my favourite story, Pretty Little Straight Boy, best 🙂 So clearly, they have very good taste!

You can find a giveaway at all of the above links, so go along and see if you can win yourself a copy of All About The Boy. 🙂

 

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

  1. I am looking forward to the release of my erotica antho All About The Boy on Monday, and have been celebrating by chatting with the most amazing and talented JL Merrow about kink and writing it (there’s a Rafflecopter giveaway, too, if you’re interested in trying to get your hands on a copy of it!).
  2. All About The Boy is coming out with Nine Star Press, and I’m so very very excited that they’ve just accepted my novel Love Plus One for publication at some point! Lots of editing to do first, of course (isn’t there always?!) but this novel was a total labour of love and I’m so happy that they like it.
  3. And talking of novels, have I mentioned the most amazing reviews that The Sisterhood has been getting? There’s this one at Good Reads, this one at Amazon and this one from Rainbow Book Reviews. So, I’m feeling really chuffed about that.
  4. Splendid Son’s summer holidays have started. No more fussing about school and uniform and ‘have you done your homework?’ for six weeks!
  5. And to get the holidays off to a good start, my sister and family are down at the moment, which means I get to spend some time with them, too, which is excellent.
  6. And I’m still writing the new story. It’s 15k now, so it seems to be going well 🙂

Satisfied Saturday Six

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The SSS celebrates six things that have gone well, or at least okay, in the past week. It is the creation of Terry Egan, who is all things wonderful.

  1. I’ve started a new story! It’s going quite slowly at the moment, but it’s taking up quite a bit of my mind, which is always a good sign. Please cross your fingers that it works out for me – I’m always happiest when I’m working on something.
  2. The Sisterhood is up on UK Amazon as a Kindle release, though it’s not going to be officially released until 25th Jule, it seems. I’m not quite sure why that is, but at least that means there’s movement towards getting a UK release for the book, which has got to be a good thing!
  3. I also proof-read my story Something You Really Want for Xcite books. It’s due out in their Gay Romance anthology in August, which is very exciting. I love the characters in that particular story.
  4. I helped out at Splendid Son’s school fete yesterday, which whilst it has left me needing copious quantities of painkillers today and being unable to get out of bed, has also given me a pleasing sense of virtue. Which is something, right?
  5. And talking of Splendid Son, he has a music exam today, but Lovely Partner has taken the day off and will take him, which given the ‘unable to get out of bed’ thing is a great relief! Please to be sending good thoughts his way (SS’s, not LP’s!).
  6. Later today, I’m hoping to buy some coach tickets to go and visit some wonderful friends in the summer. It is great to have things to look forward to, and I appear to be going on holiday for three entire weeks during August!