Friday 28 November 2008

Why so Quiet?

Okay, so, this week, or at least since Tuesday, I've been on the quiet side. No blog posts and very few tweets-no tweets at all on Thursday. And no, it wasn't because it was Thanksgiving, because we don't do Thanksgiving in Britain.

No, the truth is that I've just been so very snowed under. Not literally, as the last flurry of snow we hand in Northants was washed away by the rain before the sun was up properly last Sunday. No, I mean, of course, the amount of work I've somehow accrued. I've been complaining about the amount of crap I have to do for some while now. It doesn't seem fair to me that everyone else in the country is suffering a slowdown in the amount of work they have and my workload has, if anything, increased.

This week it's been all about the change in the VAT regulations being sprung on us and preparing for it happening next week, and a rather nasty and particularly complicated payroll. Still, shouldn't complain, at least I have a job - which is more than might be said for workers at Woolworth's this time next month.

It is sad to see an institution like Woolworth's in such trouble. As a chap on the TV said during a box-pops session outside one of the stores - "Where are we going to steal Pic 'n 'Mix from now?"

You might remember that after finishing Kissed by a Rose, I started work on a re-write of Reunion. The intention was to restructure and add to the original story.

Well, I've certainly done that. So much so, that I've decided to go the whole hog and ditch large parts of the original concept for the story - effectively making a totally new piece rather than an update of an old one. I've changed the character names and I've allowed the two leads to get together in their youth before breaking up and getting back together again later in life (as opposed to having them miss out earlier to make it all the sweeter later)

I'm also increasing the length of time until they meet up again as adults and I'm making some other changes that I didn't think I ever would. I'm hoping the changes will add even more drama to an already dramatic plot line.

I would say roll on the weekend, but i'm going to be spending some of it making changes to our templates and systems ready for the change in VAT rate on Monday. Oh, well, there's always next weekend.

Wednesday 26 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/5r8ywz #
  • 09:04 God, it's cold again this morning. Frost on the car. I can see my breath on the air. Glad I'm in a nice sort-of-warm office. #
  • 11:13 I have spent all morning working through how the VAT change affects out business. This is a Joke! #
  • 11:14 Now I've got to spend even more time altering our invoice and completion statement templetes. #
  • 11:52 I'm fed up of bloody VAT! #
  • 12:06 twitpic.com/nxqi - #
  • 13:33 Need to finish off payroll for this month, then I've got a hundred other things to do. #
  • 13:33 Think I'll have a Mars bar first. #
  • 14:17 On the Blog : Have they gone Mad? tinyurl.com/6d8qpd #
  • 14:38 payroll complete. Unless the boss suddenly decides to cut everyone's wages this month. #
  • 15:10 @RubiJayne I'm a hero? Cool. #
  • 15:30 I've very much had enough of today. It's been a bloody nightmare from the moment I got in. I'm looking forward to going home. #
  • 15:46 Can anyone think of a boys name which sounds cool when shortened and in full? #
  • 17:03 many thanks to @RubiJayne @jmoriarty @cranberrytarts @reginasuniverse - it's given me food for thought. #
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Tuesday 25 November 2008

Have they gone Mad?

Okay, so, according to the Chancellor, the way that Britain is going to get through the recession is by asking the public, who he readily admits have far too much personal debt in the form of mortgages, unsecured loans and credit cards, to go out to the shops and spend even more.

Nice one - let's rack up the personal debt mountain even more. Who knows, it might even match the national debt that this government has landed us with so that they can go out and spend more.

But then, this is a man who is still adamant that Britain is in a better position going into this recession than 'comparable countries', even though the IMF and the World Bank say we are in the worst position of any of the major western economies. Perhaps by 'comparable countries' he means 'countries that are well and truly in the shit'.

This idea of the public spending us out of recession is the reason (or so he says) for the 2.5% cut in VAT. But that rather naive assumption is based on the shops actually passing on the cut. As I said yesterday, if I were a shop keeper and had the choice between wasting time and money changing all my prices or pocketing the tax giveaway for my own profits, I know which I'd do. But then I'm a cynic.

I'm also quite bitter and annoyed by the tax cut. It's a cut you won't see any benefit from unless you go out and spend (assuming the shops... Oh, you know) and even then, £1.10 off a £50 item is hardly Earth-shattering. But it's also created a whole bunch of work for me. This morning I've wasted time debating with my directors how this should be implemented, leading to one of them saying "This is crazy, every firm in the country is wasting time and money having the same discussion today. It's madness."

And this weekend, I'll have to waste even more time going through all our invoice and completion statement templates and changing all the settings in our accounts software, ready for next Monday's change.

Why on earth we couldn't have had a penny, or even half a penny, in the pound reduction in income tax, I'll never know.

And then there is the looming prospect of tax rises if Labour win the next election. Actually, that's not a big worry since they won't win the next election.

Okay, sorry, rant over. I'll go away and do some accounting now. Or maybe I'll try and write a sneaky few hundred words on my WIP instead.

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/5n5ruy #
  • 08:55 Back at my desk for a new week - and I'm already confused #
  • 08:55 There seems to be three OPEN bottles of milk in the fridge. Why? Who keeps opening a new bottle without finishing the last one? #
  • 08:56 Moan, moan, moan - what a way to start the week. #
  • 11:30 Have spent the morning doing payroll. I'm just hoping that the Chancellor doesn't change anything this afternoon so I have to do it again #
  • 12:17 On the Blog : Does a cut in VAT mean a cut in prices? tinyurl.com/56hxhe #
  • 12:40 Couple sue McD's after nude pics of wife on Husbands phone appear on the internet. Hee Hee. rurl.org/16lg #
  • 13:05 My Tweets are followed by "10 Downing St" - I never saw Gordon Brown as a fan of erotic Romance. #
  • 13:26 @ladlem Well, he does look a bit like a dirty old man. #
  • 13:27 A sudden avalanche of Tweets - it must be sunrise on the other side of the pond. #
  • 15:39 It's been a very 'bitty' day today. Don't seem to be gettin g anywhere fast. Just trying to write a few hundred words on my WIP now. #
  • 15:41 doing some quick research - isn't wikipedia great? Okay, so you can't trust it 100% - but it's a good starting point. #
  • 16:06 UK VAT cut to 15% - as expected. But it won't work. It will not work. #
  • 16:07 Tax on Booze and petrol goes up by the same amount VAT comes down - Oh, well done. Pratt. #
  • 21:03 It's 9pm and I'm trying to decide between Spooks and Tony Robinson's new series. Or Voyager. Not sure... #
  • 21:04 I think it's going to have to be Spooks. #
  • 21:38 Okay, tonights Spooks is the best one so far this series. Very, very tense. Love it #
  • 21:40 Richard Armatage can kick ass! Go on, son. Smack him one. #
  • 21:55 Damn they killed the kid! #
  • 21:55 Go di love spooks. Back to its best tonight. #
  • 21:57 Well written, well shot, well acted. Damn this is what the BBC does best. #
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Monday 24 November 2008

Does a cut in VAT mean a cut in prices?

It's been widely leaked in the press that the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, will this afternoon announce a cut in VAT (Value Added Tax) from 17.5% to 15% (apparently the lowest it is allowed to go under EU rules). The idea is to stimulate the economy by reducing prices in the shops and get shoppers spending again.

Only, I don't think it will do either of those things.

First off, there is no guarantee that shops will actually cut their prices. Food, children's clothes and a few other things aren't affected anyway, but if you were a shopkeeper selling, say, televisions, would you change all your price tags, literature and website to cut the price of a £499 TV to £488? I don't think I would. I'd say thanks to the government, carry on charging £499 and pocket the £11 difference for myself.

And even if the shopkeepers are generous and pass on the cut, will eleven quid of a £500 item really make people rush out and buy it? Let's face it, the shops have been cutting prices by 20% or more in the past few weeks and even that hasn't stimulated sales. If a hundred quid reduction isn't making people buy that TV, why would £11 off?

From a personal standpoint, I'd rather have a cut in income tax if there has to be a cut at all. It's something real that I'll actually see in my pay packet and it'll make me feel better about things. Falling prices in the shops will just make me think things are getting worse, not better.

So how about a 1p in the pound cut in income tax and a reduction in National Insurance too (income tax in all but name). It might only put and extra few quid in my bank - but I'll feel better for it.

Saturday 22 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/5vxyu8 #
  • 08:55 My God - There's a cold wind blowing today. Snow expected at the Weekend. #
  • 09:30 for some reason, we have a chocolate fountain in the office today. #
  • 11:12 You know, chocolate fountians and raspberries/marshmallows/strawberries are really very nice. #
  • 15:17 **NEW** free Story - "Extended Family" rurl.org/16bw John's wife wants him to do her sister a good deed. a very good deed indeed. #
  • 16:15 **NEW** Free Story - "Ladz #65 : Carla" rurl.org/16c1 Carla thinks being a Ladz Local Lovely will give her all the cock she wants. #
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Friday 21 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:18 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/6m8osj #
  • 09:05 Didn't win the lottery last night, so back at my desk. IT's not fair, it's been nearly twenty years - you'd think it was my turn by now. #
  • 10:03 I actually found time to shave this morning - feel all clean and smooth. Shame I nicked my neck and lost copious amounts of blood. #
  • 12:00 Another busy morning. I'm off for some lunch now. #
  • 12:33 I've just been offered "the Ultimate male package". I wonder what was in it? #
  • 13:00 If the UK is a democracy, why can people lose their jobs for being a member of a political party. That's not right, even if it is the BNP. #
  • 14:01 Is it too early to be singing Christmas songs? #
  • 14:01 @ValerieStevens i don't know, But I could use it if you find one. #
  • 14:03 Watched ashow on BBC 4 last night about Childrens books. And they never even mentioned Harry Potter. I wonder why? #
  • 14:17 On the Blog : Odd definition of Democracy tinyurl.com/65c3e3 #
  • 14:32 @chrisredding This BNp thing blew up yesterday when the membership list was leaked. Now members are getting death threats. For F*&^ks sake! #
  • 14:33 @jennymccutcheon I was thinking more along the lines of Kylie Minouge doing "Santa Baby" **shivers** #
  • 14:34 @jennymccutcheon @jeanettejoy What is "Thanksgiving" exactly? Isn't it just "Early Christmas" with presents and turkey? #
  • 14:40 @MelissaFrancis I'm going to stop procrastinating tomorrow. #
  • 14:41 @jennymccutcheon Any sniker-whats now? #
  • 14:44 @jeanettejoy Thanksgiving seems like a lot of effort to me just for another big Turkey day. I don't even like turkey that much. Prefer lamb #
  • 14:56 @jennymccutcheon Never heard of them them. But they sound nice. #
  • 14:57 @jeanettejoy So it's just like Chrismas then - big family feast etc. Like I said, you lot over there just want to do it twice. lol #
  • 15:58 If you saw "Penis Pasta" written on a box, would you assume it was a posh brand name, or a description of the shape? #
  • 15:59 My friend just admitted she thought it was a Posh brand name and served it to her two young children. Doh! #
  • 16:51 10 mins till home time! #
  • 16:52 managed to squeeze in 500 words today between 'day job' tasks. Not great but not bad. #
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Thursday 20 November 2008

Odd definition of Democracy

Yesterday, it emerged that the 2007 membership list of the British National Party, the BNP, was leaked onto the Internet. Now, for those of you who don't know, the BNP is a 'far right' party, who believe that Britain should be for the British, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure you know the type of party I'm talking about - every country has them.

Now, the BNP is the pariah of British politics. Forget that they are actually winning council seats in some parts of the country, they are (as called by most of the media and their opponents) 'racists' and are to be look ed down on.

But, they are not illegal. You see, Britain is, or so I thought, a free democracy with free speech and a free press. But as the list emerged, it also became clear that being a member of the BNP is seriously bad for you. There are people on the list who have received death threats within hours of the website going live. Apparently, policemen and prison officers are banned from being members of the BNP (but not banned from being members of other parties) and the largest teachers organisation came out and said membership was incompatible with teaching.

Now, let's be clear about this, I'm not a member or supporter of the BNP. I have never voted for them, and never would. Just as I don't ever envisage myself voting for Labour, the Communists, or any other number of other parties. But that doesn't mean I believe they should be banned.

I have always believed that the best way to deal with extreme groups is to engage them in reasoned debate and show their ideas to be as ridiculous as they are through your own arguments. But it seems that the media and the political establishment don't believe this to be the case. They think they should just be banned.

Forgive me, but isn't the banning of political groups the first step towards a dictatorial state? How can we claim to have free speech, if the leaders of the country stop one group from talking because they don't agree with them?

The BNP's views are, from what I've seen of them making their arguments, abhorrent. But last night on Channel 4 News, the leader of this party was made to look like the reasonable one during an interview because all he was asking for was a chance to put his views across, like any other party, and to protect his members from abuse, like any other party.

It's a crazy situation when the extremists are made to look like moderates. More than once the interviewer, who did a good job for the most part, twisted the man's words to make him sound more extreme but ended up looking silly because the response he got was "No, I didn't say that. Stop putting words in my mouth. All I said was..."

Maybe I'm naive, but I really did think we lived in a 'free' country. But I guess there's no such thing.

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/576nq8 #
  • 08:55 Morning everyone. Didn't tweet a lot yesterday. Too busy. Hope today isn't the same. #
  • 10:04 @CassieExline Go easy on the caffine! #
  • 10:04 @CassieExline Just forget the day job and write. #
  • 10:05 Been on the go all morning so far. When will it ease up so I can do some writing? #
  • 10:28 Free story - Bus Stop rurl.org/162p #
  • 10:28 Free Story - Claire rurl.org/162q #
  • 10:29 I offer a number of free stories on my website, but up to now have had no way to track the number of reads so I'm moving them to lulu - Free #
  • 10:34 I'm cold now - Going for a cuppa #
  • 11:22 WIP news - I'm done with chapter 6. Need to insert new chapters - maybe as many as 2 before what is currently c7. Lots to do. #
  • 13:32 Didn't have time to shave this morning. Now I feel all dirty and look horrible #
  • 13:33 had a nice lunch - hot sausage roll. lovely. #
  • 14:17 On the Blog : Have You Seen the latest Bank Adverts? tinyurl.com/6yxyy2 #
  • 15:09 @chrisredding Would site counter measure .pdfs downloaded from my site? #
  • 15:10 @KateRothwell Outlaw? I like the sound of that. At least it's better than 'Tramp' or "beggar". #
  • 15:14 Just looking at a breakdown of where visitors to my blog come from. 43% from the Us, 36% UK, 3% canada. 1.5% from Germany? Troops? #
  • 15:15 I've even had a couple of visitors from Iran. Now that's not soemthing I expected. #
  • 16:11 @emily83176 You'd think, wouldn't you? But no. I just feel dirty - and not in a good way. #
  • 16:12 @KateRothwell see, now you say "Bum" and i think, "sexy". Or possible, "Big" depends on who's bum it is. #
  • 16:33 @emily83176 Not at my place of work it's not. Here, scruffiness is the fast track to unemployment. But I can be pretty scruffy at weekends. #
  • 16:45 In between doing my 'real' work, I've managed to write over a thousand words today. Bonus! #
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Wednesday 19 November 2008

Have You Seen the latest Bank Adverts?

We all know that banks are not the top of everyone's Christmas lists this year. They are being blamed for the current financial crisis, and after several high profile collapses and rescues ob both sides of the Atlantic, everyone is very nervous about which one will be next.

Which is why I'm finding a couple of recent TV and billboard ads here in Blighty very interesting. Banco Santander, LloydsTSB and HSBC are all using phrases like "Trusted" and "Safe". Lloyds are even calling themselves "Britain's most trusted bank."

Yeah, right.

But it's not just banks. This morning I had an unsolicited e-mail from a company telling me "Don't let the financial crisis turn into an IT crisis!" What TF?

Next thing you know we'll have chocolate companies will be telling us to eat more so we don't get depressed because the house has been repossessed.

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:18 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/68qyao #
  • 10:14 A belated good Morning to you all. Been busy so far to dao. Lots to do. Write offs and bills to pay. #
  • 11:31 Damn, I've been busy today/ #
  • 14:00 It's 2pm already and I've hardly tweeted at all. Shows how busy I've been today. #
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Tuesday 18 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/5nz9d7 #
  • 08:56 Good morning folks. I've not been a good twitterer towards the tail end of last week. I'll try and rectify that today. #
  • 08:56 Of course, work might intervene again - it has for the past few days #
  • 08:57 Still, why should work stand in the way of a good tweet? #
  • 09:14 I've written a Guest blog at "The Rule of Three" rurl.org/15vj #
  • 09:28 Almost lost a e-mail with the login details for an online webinar today. The recpient deleted it. Dur! #
  • 10:12 The Gvt compell us to make tax submissions online - then raise the submission charge by £1 per sub. Con or what? #
  • 10:15 I've not had a cup of tea yet this morning. This isn't right and needs to be recitifed right now. #
  • 10:21 free story - "Private Party" rurl.org/15vq "Paul woke with morning wood, which was nothing unusual,.." #
  • 10:49 There's nothing like a hot cuppa. Except a hot cuppa and a choocy biccy. #
  • 11:17 On the Blog : Guest Blog posted tinyurl.com/58rhjv #
  • 11:23 When people ask how I met June, I smile and repl y, "On the bus." Free story - "Bus Stop" rurl.org/15vu #
  • 11:41 "The worst thing about visiting Amy was her mother." Free Story - "Last Train to Swansea" - rurl.org/15w1 #
  • 12:17 On the Blog : All set for the week tinyurl.com/6xmf2u #
  • 12:43 It's horrid outside - grey with lots and lots of drizzle. yuk. #
  • 13:31 @chrisredding Good point. Although, we do have Sun sometimes. I think it was on a wednesday this year. #
  • 14:00 available now - Marc Nobbs' Landscapes 2009 calender rurl.org/15w9 #
  • 15:20 Free story - "Ladz Local Lovelies 62:Rebecca" - rurl.org/15wf "It's hot," said Rebecca. "It's been getting hotter since we stopped." #
  • 15:43 It's been another tough day today. I'm tired and it's getting dark outside. I could do with another cup of tea. #
  • 15:44 I've got a stiff neck too. Must be the first signs of man-flu. #
  • 15:51 Trying to think of a way to date a portion of my wip in 1989 - easy, have one of the characters drive a battered Ford Capri! #
  • 15:52 @mandymroth i'll put the kettle on. #
  • 16:22 NaNoWriMO - why would you try to rush it and write a novel in a month? I don't understand. #
  • 16:26 @jmoriarty @RubiJayne Okay. So it's just the first draft - not the sub and be damned 'final' draft. So you can edit it when the month is up? #
  • 16:29 I now need to reference some late 80's music. Anyone got any ideas? Or should I google. My memory of then is sketchy - I think I was drunk. #
  • 16:35 Just looked up music in 89 - it was a goooood year. #
  • 16:49 @emily83176 "Every Rose has it's thorn" "Sweet child o mine" Kylie and Jason. yep - it was great. #
  • 16:52 Okay. That's me done for the day. I'm off home now to play with my little boy - and no, that isn't a euphemism. #
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Monday 17 November 2008

All set for the week

On Friday I was at a meeting with the staff in respect of the impending decrease in staffing levels, which wasn't nice. There is an unpleasant atmosphere around here at the moment. still, there's not a lot we can do about it.

The weekend was interesting. Jr's nursery has had a second hand iMac donated to them, and guess who's on it the most? Yep, Nobby Jr. So, as he's a future computer whiz, Mrs Nobbs suggested we dig out the old desktop machine of ours, set it up downstairs and buy the little tyke a few 'educational' games. She's since changed her mind as he seems to be better on all the games than she is.

I did warn her.

While I wait to hear the fate of Kissed by a Rose, I've started re-writing Reunion. I'm changing the title, changing the location and adding a lot more to it (as well as cleaning up what is already there). At this point I'm estimating it will almost double in size. (The story. I know what you were thinking! You've all got dirty minds and should be ashamed of yourselves)

Reunion is still available at Lulu for now, but I'll be withdrawing it as I near the completion of the rewrite. I'll also have to pull it from StoriesOnline before I submit it for publication - even though that version is a very early, no where near as good version. It'll hurt, as it continues to be my most popular story there, but I'll have to do it eventually.

Have you heard of Melanotan? It's a tanning drug and there is a bit of a stink about it in the press this morning. It raises the amount of melanin in the body - which colours the skin. On the radio this morning was a doctor trying to convince young women not to use it as all the side-effects are not known. It's also not licensed for use in the UK yet so buying it over the Internet is, strictly, illegal.

But he did list some of the side-effects. Increased sex drive and depressed appetite. Good job, Doc. Way to persuade people not to use it. After all, the women who wan to be golden brown, don't want to be thin as well, do they? And if more sex is thrown in too - well, no one wants that.

Let's be honest, for lots of twenty-something women , this sounds like the ideal drug.

I am tempted to talk about the government - but I won't as it will turn into a rant. I got annoyed this morning by Lord Mandleson insisting that nothing the government has done is to blame for the economic conditions. He blamed everyone from 'international issues', to the present opposition, to the last government - the one that got booted out ELEVEN YEARS AGO.

Sorry, I told you it would turn into a rant. The sooner this lot leave office the better.

Oh, and did you know that my footy team, Wolves, are top if the league? Well, it keeps me happy.

Guest Blog posted

I've written a guest blog at the "Rule of Three" blog. As have my good friends Cassie Exline and Savannah Chase. Why not check it out?

Thursday 13 November 2008

Bad News

All in all it wasn't the best of days yesterday. It started off well and I'll admit to being in a unusually good mood. But Mid-afternoon the directors called the staff into the office and announced that they believe us to be over-staffed in the current economic climate, and that they would be looking to reduce the number of secretarial hours by the equivalent of one full time worker. That doesn't sound too bad, and they didn't use the "R" word, but when you consider that there are only five full time secretaries and two part-timers, it's a big deal.

Fortunately, I'm not in the firing line yet. And as long as I'm the only one in the firm who can run payroll, I don't think I will be, but my friends are and it's painful to watch.

The directors did ask for suggestions for solutions that wouldn't result in a redundancy, and more than one of them have suggested a general reduction of working hours between them all,, but I'm sad to say there seems to be something of a 'me first' attitude amongst some. I believe they are thinking that for whatever reason, they are safe and it'll be someone else who goes. So why should they lose money to save someone else.

If that is what they believe, then it is very sad. It shows me that we are not the team I thought we were.

So, all in all, not a very pleasant day in the end. I hope we can find a way through this without losing someone. But I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/55jfy6 #
  • 09:20 Morning all. Strangly, I'm in a half-decent mood today, which makes a change. normally, i'm spitting blood by 9:30. #
  • 10:05 I've done a lot so far today. I'm very pleased. #
  • 10:19 Trying to phone British Gas to make sure they got our payment last week. Been on hold for 8 mins now. Don;'t they want my money? #
  • 11:03 One of the girls in the office has just deleted a whole folder from the network. Oh bugger. #
  • 14:23 Been very busy again today. Seem to have loads to do just lately. #
  • 14:47 Have uploaded a bunch of photos to flickr today. rurl.org/15gf #
  • 15:04 The directors have just called us in to tell everyone they may have to make redunancies. Not good. #
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Wednesday 12 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:22 On the Blog : Tweets for Today twurl.nl/qctlau #
  • 10:33 Been in meetings all morning so far. Glad I got out before 11. Wouldn't seem right to sit around talking then. #
  • 10:59 How can you wish someone a "happy veterns" day. Today isn't about being "happy" it's about comemerating 90 years since the end of WW1 #
  • 11:00 When the Sun goes down, and in the morning..... #
  • 11:00 We shall remember them. #
  • 11:00 It must never happen again! #
  • 11:05 At this hour, 90 years ago today, the guns fell silent. The Great War (or should that be The Terrible War) ended. Millions gave their lives. #
  • 11:06 There remains only 3 British serviors of that war. The youngest is 108. Today, I honour them and what they did for me. #
  • 11:07 I will not forget. I will never forget. WW1 was the most uncivilised time of our civilisation. It must not happen again. Ever. #
  • 12:17 On the Blog : We Shall Remember. We MUST Remember. tinyurl.com/63byka #
  • 15:01 Been a busy old day again today. I'm wondering now when it's ever going to stop. #
  • 16:19 On the Blog : Chatting at the Cafe tinyurl.com/6yvowl #
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Tuesday 11 November 2008

Chatting at the Cafe

Yesterday I was chatting at the Love Romances Cafe. As always there was a bunch of questions for us authors to answer. And here are the ones I gave.

When did you seriously sit down, and say to yourself, I'm going to write a novel?

I remember it well. It was a Tuesday. The sky was gray and filled with drizzle. I was 24. I’d lost my job and had no girlfriend.

Okay, so that’s an over-dramatisation of the facts. I’ve wanted to write for a long time. And it took me a long time and a lot of practice to get good enough to write anything worthwhile reading. The novel I’ve just subbed to Phaze, Kissed by a Rose, was the first time I sat down with a full plot in mind and tried to write something of that length. Both Charlotte’s Secret and Lost & Found started out as short stories and just sort of got longer.

What do you find the most difficult to write? Dialogue? Back story? Emotion?

I’ve been told by more than one person that my strongest point is my dialogue and its realism. And the best way to convey emotion for me is through dialogue. My characters do have a tendency to pour their hearts out every now and then.

I don’t like telling back stories because I always feel that I’m doing just that – telling rather than showing. That said, back stories are essential. Lost & Found was to all intents and purposes a story about the characters back stories. So was Charlotte’s Secret now I come to think of it.

Look, can I go away and think about this some more?

Have you ever found that you didn't like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?

I can’t say that I have, really. Sorry. I like my heroes. And I LOVE my heroines (if you know what I mean)

If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the first thing you do?

Er.... Um.... Oh, look at that pretty bird in the sky over there.

Do you write full time, what is your schedule for the day? Or do you have a full time job, if so, when do you find the time to write?

I have a day job. A tedious, counting other people’s money and wishing it was mine kind of day job. I try and snatch a few minutes to write when the boss isn’t looking – which is a lot easier to do since I became one of the bosses.

Other than that I write late-ish at night (when Jr is in bed) and at weekends (unless Jr says otherwise – which he does a lot).

Do you have the support of family and friends?

Yeah. Mrs Nobbs is happy as long as the royalty cheques keep coming in. Jr is too young to know what I’m up to. My parents don’t know. I mean, come on, can anyone imagine their mother reading the sort of stuff I write – it makes me shudder to think about it. It’s my mother, dude.

What has been the biggest challenge of your career?

Getting that first story published. The first is always the hardest.

Where do you expect to be in five years?

If you’d have said four years, I’d have said at the London Olympics. But you didn’t. So I don’t know. I’ve never been one for planning that far ahead.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? If you are a plotter, what are you methods?

A bit of both. I have a basic idea of where the story is headed in my brain when I start out, but then I let the characters go where they want to take me. As long as I can steer them in right general direction, I’m happy.

How have your techniques for character development changed since you've been writing? Is it still the same, or has it developed over time, if so how?

I’m still in the early stages of my career, so this is a hard one to answer. I guess I’m looking deeper into who my characters are and what motivates them more than i used to. I think I now realise that you need to know where people have come from to work out why they do what they do and where they are heading. That’s more of a life lesson than a writing one though, isn’t it?

Where is the last place on Earth you'd want to live and why?

Swindon. I don’t think I could cope with The Magic Roundabout everyday.

Would you live in a biodome for 5 years? What would your must have accessories be?

What’s a Biodome? Is this some weird David Blane thing? Cause he’s just bonkers.

If I had to be locked away somewhere for 5 years, I’d like my laptop and a power supply please. Think of all the stuff I’d be able to write if I wasn’t getting disturbed all the time.

You're the villain of your latest novel. What nasty things do you have planned for your heroine?

Well, most of them involve her being naked…

If you were a cartoon, which character would you be?

HONG KNOG FOOEY – Number one super guy. Hong Kong Fooey – quicker than the human eye.

In your next life, if you came back as a critter, what would it be?

Do you mean creepy-crawlies or just small animals? I think I’d like to be a spider. It’d be cool to be able to make things several hundred times my size scream and run away just by being me. (no, wait, people scream and run away just because I’m me now anyway)

Who were you in a past life?

What is this? Regression therapy? I reckon I was someone really, really, bad – which would explain why I’m having to atone for it this time around.

We Shall Remember. We MUST Remember.

Today is, so I'm told, Veteran's Day in the US. I've seen blog posts, Myspace comments and twitter tweets wishing people a "Happy Veteran's Day." And I wonder. I wonder just how many of them realise why it's TODAY. How many realise the significance of 11/11.

It is, of course, Armistice day. on this day, in 1918, the guns in Europe fell silent and The Great War, The War to end all Wars, ended. In case you didn't notice, that's exactly ninety years ago.

I'd like to say it's been ninety years of peace, but of course it hasn't. Because it wasn't the War to end all Wars. Millions died, the landscape of Europe was scarred forever, and yet, two decades later, war broke out again. And there have been wars in Europe ever since.

Today is not a day to "Be Happy". Today is a day to remember and to commemorate and to give thanks. To remember the sacrifice, to commemorate the dead and to give thanks for what they did.

Today, at the Cenotaph in London, the only three remaining Britons to have survived the First World War have led the service of remembrance. They saw the war. They suffered the war. And they will never forget it.

The service will end with the words - "On this day, when the sun goes down and in the morning, we shall remember them."

But I worry that we, as a society, are in danger of forgetting. Forgetting the sacrifice. Forgetting the horror. Forgetting the pointlessness of it all.

Because the First World War was pointless. There is a scene in the last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth where the characters are sitting waiting to go "over the top" and discussing how the war started. And Blackadder comes out with perhaps the best explanation. "It was just to much effort NOT to have a war." The episode famously ends with the most poignant piece of television in history, when they all go over the top, rush the German guns and fall one by one before the screen fades to a modern day poppy field in Flanders.

The Second World War had to be fought. The Nazis had to be stopped. But what was the need for the First World War?

If we forget, I fear we will be in danger of not learning the lessons of war and that it may happen again. Maybe not in my lifetime, or maybe it will be, but if we forget, make no mistake, it will happen again. And we cannot let it happen again. We cannot forget.

On the News last night, a reporter spoke with two teenagers from a small village, at the centre of which is the war memorial. He asked them what they knew about WW1. Nothing. He asked them if they knew the significance of the Poppy we wear with pride on our chest in early November. No. He asked them what their connection to the war memorial was. They did not know. So he took them and showed them the name of their great great grandfather (for whom one of them was named) and told them he was there because the gave his life in the war.

We cannot keep allowing this to happen. We cannot let our children forget.

We shall remember. We MUST remember.

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/65ewz8 #
  • 09:01 Morning Peeps. It's Monday, it's raining and it's going to get worse apprently. oh well, best get on with it. #
  • 09:01 Went to see Quantum of Solace yesterday. Great film. Daniel Craig rocks as James Bond. #
  • 09:02 It's really odd to have been to see a film that's not out in the US yet. There were signs up everywhere warning ppl not to record it. #
  • 09:26 I've got tons to do today - again. Just like I had tons to do on Friday, and Thursday... What happened to this downturn. Why am I still busy #
  • 10:27 @jmsnyder23 Ohh, bad luck - I hate migraines. My advice. Two VERY strong paracetamol then back to bed with you. #
  • 10:28 It's nearly coffee break time. Well Tea break since I can't stand coffee. Cup of tea and a chocolate biccy or two to warm me up. #
  • 10:29 @jmsnyder23 That should do it. Now back to bed. #
  • 10:40 @jmsnyder23 Just call in sick. It's not like your job in under treat from an imprending recession or anything... Oh, hang on... #
  • 10:40 @commonsense4 At work I just drink PG Tips, cause that's all we have. At home i do like a nice cup of Lady Grey. #
  • 10:43 It's not stopped raining since 7am this morning - ans that'a after a big storm last night. And it looks like it's getting worse. #
  • 10:44 I think I might move to the Barhamas #
  • 10:54 @commonsense4 PG is just 'normal' English tea. Biggest selling brand I think. Comes in Pyramid shaped teabags. #
  • 11:10 @chrisredding chocolate coated malted milk. Lovely #
  • 11:35 @chrisredding Did you know you can get chocolate coatsed HobNobs now too. scrumy #
  • 13:20 Chatting over at Love Romances Cafe today as it's Phaze author day. see you there.rurl.org/1588 #
  • 14:36 Just had a Jam doughnut. lovely. Does anyone think it's possible to eat doughnuts without licking your lips? #
  • 15:35 Cup of tea time! #
  • 17:17 On the Blog : The Wait Goes On tinyurl.com/66cfby #
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Monday 10 November 2008

The Wait Goes On

The worst thing about being a writer is the unnerving, terrifying wait that one is subjected to when you submit a piece for publication. It's a lot like the wait you have to endure when you enter a competition and the announcement of the winner is several days after the closing date - only worse, because in theory you know when the contest winner will be announced and you have no idea how long your chosen publisher might take to evaluate your work and make their mind up.

I'm in the former situation right now. I submitted Kissed by a Rose to Phaze last week and now I'm going through 'that long wait'.

I must say, I'm quite hopeful they'll say 'yes'. they published my previous two works, Charlotte's Secret and Lost & Found, and KbaR is a whole leap forward for me--it's longer, better written and has more character development, more plot twists and more sex.

But there is always that nagging doubt. It's good to have that nagging doubt - it steels you against rejection - but it is - as the name suggest - nagging. By which I mean it's annoying.

the worst thing is that I want to start screaming from the rooftops, jumping up and down and start telling everyone how great the story is. I want to start whetting their appetites and get them chomping at the bit to read it. But I can't. Because, as yet, it doesn't have a publisher. So that would be foolish. So until I hear back, I can't.

This might be a little late, but I'd like to offer my congratulations to the Democrats and Mr Obama. I heard his acceptance speech on Radio 4 when I drove into work last Wednesday morning (the very kindly played the whole thing) and I must say that the man is one hell of a speaker. He even had me feeling proud to be American - and I'm not American! My hope now is that he actually turns out to be the President that his rhetoric has promised. I hope he can make decisions as well as he can stir the emotions. Guess we'll have to wait and see, huh?

Anyways, I've been chatting at LRC today, so as usual when I do the chat there, I'll post my answers to the owners interview questions here tomorrow.

And thanks to those of you who have said they are enjoying reading my daily tweets.

Finally, here's the blurb I've finalised for Kissed by a Rose.

Who’d have thought tears in the library could change your life? For Adam Smith they led to love. But when your girlfriend is the latest English Rose to grace the silver screen, life’s not going to be easy. Hounded by the press, autograph hunters at every turn, she’s his power, his pleasure and his pain. An addiction he can’t deny. The more he gets, the stranger he feels. But a student and a superstar just don’t mix. Do they? They’re from two different worlds. Aren’t they? And remember what the song says: Every Rose has its Thorn.

--
Marc Nobbs
REC Nominated Author of Contemporary Erotic Romance
Turning Romance on its head

Nominated for Best Author of Contemporary Erotic Romance
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/surveys?id=12835841
Nominated for Best Female Character in a Contemporary Erotic Romance
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/surveys?id=12835851

Saturday 8 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/5wsooz #
  • 08:51 It's Friday. That means it junk food day this lunchtime. The golden arches beckon. #
  • 11:22 I am having a week from hell. Thank F**k for twitter - at least I can let of staem here insteadof taking it out on the boss & getting sacked #
  • 11:22 I am just about ready to lash out and smack someone. #
  • 23:17 On the Blog : What a Week! tinyurl.com/63e462 #
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Friday 7 November 2008

What a Week!

I can't think of a better title to this entry to be honest. What a week indeed! I can't quite believe just how much has gone wrong this week. It's been one thing after another at work. Leaky pipes leading to sodden carpets. Melting breaker switches leading to four and a half hours without power (not good in an office where EVERYONE works on a computer for just about everything they do). And who's job do you think it is to sort it all out? Not the boss's, that's for sure.

And that's before I get to the volume of work I have that no-one else can do. It's Friday night and I don't recall being this shattered after a week at work in a long, long time.

It's all because of the age of the building to be honest. It's well over one hundred years old. All the pipe-work is lead instead of copper (which put the wind up a few people when they found out. They're not happy that they've been drinking water from lead pipes - even if it has been boiled), and the electricity supply is equally out-dated.

The biggest problem has been the pipes. The plumber has been unable to source the parts he needs to repair the pipe. Fortunately (to some extent) the leaky pipe in on the third floor, which means that we've been able to cut the water supply down and reduce the pressure in the pipes by running water through the toilet overflow so that it doesn't get as high as the leak. All well and good until the toilet sprung a leak too.

So, all in all, I've had a shit week. Let's hope next week is better,

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/6rmb9o #
  • 08:59 Back to the grindstone. Hopeing for a better day today - should get the leaky pipe fixed and running water back, which would be good. #
  • 09:42 in the office 40 mins - had to lift a sodden carpet, and now my computer won't connect to the Bank's dedicated FTP connection. Shit day. #
  • 12:32 I'm having another bad day. That makes this a really bad week so far. #
  • 13:08 thanks guys for the kind words. Nothing else has gone wrong yet - but still got four hours before the office closes so there's time #
  • 13:09 God, I sound bloody cheerful don't I? #
  • 13:09 Is there caffine in chocolate? #
  • 13:10 My assistant just bought four Red Bulls. So she'll be hyper for the rest of the day. Just what I need-a hyper, blonde 19yo running around #
  • 13:11 @BittenbyBooks I seem to be having more than most this week. #
  • 14:24 just been to buy some old fashioned sweets to cheer myself up. I need them. #
  • 14:25 @emily83176 I thought i said chocolate, not coffee. Oh well, must be me gong mad. #
  • 14:26 @BittenbyBooks I can only imagine what a vampire joke would be. Come on, spill (so to speak) #
  • 14:32 @AddisonAlbright So I'm still sane? Are you sure? i don't think I am. It's worring when you're not sure of your own sanity. #
  • 14:47 @jmsnyder23 That's a relief. Now, where did I leave my blood stained pick axe? #
  • 16:22 @emily83176 It's not - I'vew thought I'm insane for a long long time. You just confirmed it. #
  • 16:23 @emily83176 Or the result of typing before you'd had a coffee. #
  • 16:45 @jmsnyder23 We're all a little bit insane deep down. #
  • 16:46 @emily83176 I have a love/love relationship with chocolate. #
  • 16:50 @emily83176 Dead bodies? Bones? should i be scared? #
  • 16:51 @emily83176 Noting to do with "a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips" then? #
  • 16:56 @emily83176 I always am. A permanent state of terror sums up my life really. #
  • 16:56 @emily83176 The main thing you can tell from bones is the person who's bones are lying on your desk is no longer alive. #
  • 17:01 @emily83176 But mainly that they are dead. #
  • 17:02 Okay. That's me done. I'm going home. i think i may get drunkl tonight. I deserve it after the week I've had. #
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Thursday 6 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/5ptpon #
  • 08:48 I woke this morning to a new world. I only hope it has changed for the better. I believe it has. Congrats Barack. Now go fix the world. #
  • 08:49 They played a good portion of his speech on Radio 4 this morning as I was driving to work. It's hard to drive with a tear in your eye. #
  • 10:58 I am having a very shit day. What else can go wrong? #
  • 12:35 Just had a power cut. No computers for at least an hour. Bummer! #
  • 16:18 Power's Back! #
  • 16:18 Power went off just around lunchtime and has taken best part of 4 hours to come back on. It's amazing how much you can't do without leccy. #
  • 17:02 Well, that's me done for the day. I'm off home to the wife and tater-tot. see you all tomorrow, unless the power goes off again. #
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Wednesday 5 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 01:17 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/6js329 #
  • 08:45 Good morning everyone. Are all my American friends going out to vote today? Or have you already? Choose well. #
  • 08:47 Accorind to the BBC news this morning, Obama has already won because he's taller and the Redskins lost thier last game. So that's that then. #
  • 08:47 Sort of finished the 2nd draft of my WIP last night. just a couple more things I want to add. #
  • 08:48 @christinelu What's Prop 8? And for that matter what are Props 1,2 ,3 4,5,6 & 7? #
  • 11:22 just put the finishing touches to my WIP. About to send it off to my publisher for consideration. #
  • 11:23 Has everyone voted yet? No wait, the polls aren't open yet are they? #
  • 12:17 On the Blog : It's D-day. Or should that be E-day? tinyurl.com/6f27kh #
  • 13:26 Right - Cup of tea, and then back to work. #
  • 14:05 Great to see so many people on here saying they's already voted. Good on all of you! #
  • 14:06 @shanfishes 90 mins??? To VOTE???? My god, how many people were in the queue? Over here, you're unlucky if you have to wait AT ALL. 90 mins? #
  • 14:52 @ShaylaKersten @tillygreene I think the longest I've ever waited was about 10mins. And that's in a big ward. How far is your polling station #
  • 15:05 @ShaylaKersten Our polls cover about a mile square, and are open from 9am to 10pm. I've never seen long queues even in '97. #
  • 15:59 @DaisyDDobbs Problem with postal voting is it's very open to fraud. Ask Brimingham City council in England. They got caught out. #
  • 16:00 @radioproducer1 They don't give in the UK a sticker. I want a sticker. #
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Tuesday 4 November 2008

It's D-day. Or should that be E-day?

I have, quite literally, just put the finishing touches to my second draft of Kissed by a Rose and subbed it to Phaze for consideration. I will, of course, keep this blog updated of its progress. It's a nice feeling to have finally sent it away. Yes, I know that IF its accepted there is still work to do, but it's a good feeling nevertheless.

I am now free to look at other pieces. I think I know what I'm going to tackle next, but I'm keeping schtum until I actually start work.

It is, of course, election day across the pond. I hop everyone who's eligible will get out and make their voice heard. The polls would have us believe it's a foregone conclusion, but, as I said before, polls have been wrong in the past. According to the BBC Breakfast news this morning, the result is a clear win for Obama, not because of the polls, but because he is the taller candidate and in the last however many elections, the taller candidate has always won.

Also, when the Washington redskins win their last game before the election, the incumbent party wins, and when they lose, the other party wins-and (they said on the news) the Redskins lost their last game. I'll admit to having not checked this because I'm lazy and have little interest in American football.

I must admit, I envy all those of you who are going to be voting today in what could well turn out to be the most important and significant election of all time. Okay, so that's an exaggeration, but it certainly is for the most powerful office on the planet and will result in one of the all time great upsets or the first ever black man in the Oval Office.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but whoever wins won't actually be president until next year, is that right? For a Brit, this is odd. When we have an election, the office is taken up next day. For example, in '97 when Labour won their landslide, John Major moved out of Number 10 the next morning and Tony Blair had his feet under the desk by teatime. So to have to wait a few months.... It just seems odd.

Anyway, Happy Voting everyone. It doesn't matter who you vote for (well, it does, but you know what I mean) or whether you vote with your heart or your head (or your little pinky finger), voting is a privilege as well as a right, so please, please, please, get out and vote.

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 08:50 Good morning all! Britian has a new World Champion! What a race! What a last Lap! Good on ya, Lewis! #
  • 08:51 It's bllody freezing here again. Has anyone got any sun they could lend the UK? #
  • 09:14 Election day tomorrow. Has everyone in the States registered? I'm guessing it's too late if you haven't. #
  • 09:15 Remember, if you don't vote, you can't copmplain for the next four years, whatever the result. That's the rule. So Vote. #
  • 09:16 Me V Cold. Need warming up. #
  • 11:26 apparently, my book "Charlotte's Secret" has been nominated for an award. How Cool - I didn't even know. #
  • 11:27 @ladlem It's so cold, I can't feel my toes. Wait, i don't have any toes. I think i need a hug. (sorry, couldn't resist the shrek quote) #
  • 11:29 @inkserotica Thanks! Now I just need to find out exactly what I've been nominated for. I'm not a member of that Yahoo group - yet. #
  • 11:36 @inkserotica that's what I thought. But, hey, i'm still nominated. I wonder if they send you an e-mail to tell you you're up for an Oscar? #
  • 11:36 turns out my nominations are for 1) Charlotte from Charlotte's secret for Best Female Character. #
  • 11:37 and (get this) 2) Best Contemporary Author! How damn cool is that? #
  • 12:16 @penelopemarzec Thanks! #
  • 12:56 @ladlem I know. I'm thrilled. #
  • 13:10 I'm so cold now that I'm blowing warm air into my hands. This is silly. I'll be waering gloves next. #
  • 14:01 It's really time I settled down to do some work. #
  • 14:07 @ShaylaKersten But surely it depends on who wins as to how much you bitch. Or are they both as bad as each other? #
  • 14:08 @mandymroth I've got two pair of socks on - that's how cold my little tootsies are #
  • 14:09 @RubiJayne It's a done deal. Now, how do we make this trade? I doubt we can rely on the Postal system. #
  • 14:17 On the Blog : Nominated for Two Awards tinyurl.com/6fpttl #
  • 14:22 @RubiJayne Can we use Paypal? #
  • 14:37 @RubiJayne Shame, you uwed to be able to do *anything* via Paypal. #
  • 14:38 @lissamatthews Thanks! #
  • 14:38 @Joliedupre Why? Sit down and have a Coffee instead. #
  • 15:19 @AddisonAlbright Thanks! i'm so excited. #
  • 16:13 @ShaylaKersten I hear Canada is very nice this time of year. Shame you probably won't have to see it. Forgone conclusion? Maybe, maybe not. #
  • 16:15 I think i've just about had enough of today. Good job it's hometime soon. 45 mins till quitting time. #
  • 16:15 Can someone tell me why duplex printers print my shit back to front and upside down? #
  • 16:15 I hate duplex printers. #
  • 16:25 If 54% vote for Obama, and 41 % vote for McCain, does that mean that 5% didn't know there was an election going on? #
  • 16:32 have you guys seen this? candyvote.com/ #
  • 17:01 @emily83176 How? did you have a supersize keyboard? #
  • 17:01 Right. I'm going home. See you all tomorrow. #
  • 20:28 @emily83176 Talented fingers, eh? How talented? No, don't answer that - let me imagine. #
  • 20:28 @meowable Thanks! #
  • 22:00 @emily83176 I get lot's of people into trouble. It's part of my charm. #
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Monday 3 November 2008

Nominated for Two Awards

I'm Hugely excited today to find out that I've been nominated for two awards at Erotic Romance Connection. I wasn't even a member of this yahoo group until I joined this morning after a friend tipped me off about the nominations. As I said, I'm up for two awards. "Best Contemporary Erotic Author" which is mad. I can't quite believe that. Still, it's real, I've seen it for myself. The Second nomination is for one of my creations. Charlotte from Charlotte's Secret is up for best female character in Contemporary erotic novel.

I'm thrilled for Charlotte, as she's been through a lot in her life and it's nice to see her get some recognition. She's young, successful and feisty. And when the Secret is revealed at the end of the story, you'll understand just how tough she's had it.

If you are a member of the group, you can cast you vote for Charlotte here
and for best author here

and if you haven't seen just why Charlotte has been nominated, why not pick up a copy of Charlotte's Secret and find out

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Charlotte%27s+Secret/exact_match=exact

Saturday 1 November 2008

Tweets for Today

Tweet, Tweet, Here's a list of all my twitter postings in the last 24 hours.
  • 00:18 On the Blog : Tweets for Today tinyurl.com/6yu8gw #
  • 09:10 Panic set in last night - leaky pipe at wokr. Thought it was the heating so that was switched off... #
  • 09:10 Now it's damn cold. #
  • 09:10 But it wasn't the heating. It was the drinking water supply. #
  • 09:11 So today we'll be hot - but thirsty. #
  • 09:11 BTW - Good morning all. #
  • 09:57 what a morning so far. Jesus, I need a break already and it's not even ten. #
  • 10:30 take 20% off the cover price in the Phaze one day Halloween sale. Use the code word - CANDYCORN. #
  • 10:54 I am so friggin' cold. my feet are like ice blocks. And i'm wearing two pairs of socks. #
  • 11:18 On the Blog : Phaze Halloween Sale tinyurl.com/6ryaf2 #
  • 13:28 It is still so damn cold in here. I'm seriously considering buying some thermal undies this year. #
  • 13:40 Just been asked where to stick the pointy thing. Now there's a question I really can't answer in poliet company. #
  • 14:09 Did i mention the Phaze sale? Today only. www.phaze.com Codeword = CANDYCORN #
  • 14:09 @emily83176 I'll bet you do. But how many are repeatable? #
  • 14:11 @emily83176 And does the pointy thing need to be... er.... firm? Because I think the one in question is a bit floppy. #
  • 14:25 @emily83176 I'd say tell me more, but we might get thrown off twitter. #
  • 14:43 My 20 year old assistant today accused me of being "old enough to be my dad". Yeah, I'd have knobbed her mom when I was 13. cheeky mare. #
  • 15:10 @emily83176 See, now i'm wondering just what you#'ll do with that wand. #
  • 15:11 @emily83176 she a good girl, so she wouldn't have been doing anything she shouldn't at 13. me on the other hand.... #
  • 15:19 @emily83176 See, now i'm going to have to give you my e-mail address to hear more. #
  • 15:19 @emily83176 You're right - it's always the innocent looking ones #
  • 15:34 @emily83176 pink and purple hiar? Now, I had you down as a blonde. #
  • 15:47 editing my WIP love this - "Why not? He's got stamina like you wouldn't believe and his—" "I don't want to know. I don't want to know!" #
  • 15:52 @emily83176 That's good. I've always preferred brunettes anyway. (just don't tell my blonde friends - they'd kill me) #
  • 16:30 @LexValentine That one's good.but isn't it big feet, not big hands? #
  • 16:41 @LexValentine she doesn't need to discuss it - as long as she doesn't refuse to make use of it. #
  • 16:41 @cjewel I'm sure you can guess the rest. #
  • 16:42 another line from my WIP His voice was so deep it could have cracked icebergs. #
  • 16:43 and another - Adam felt a bowel movement being brought on by Scott's bass. "You're the one that's knobbing that famous bird, right?" #
  • 16:45 Typical - The office is starting to warm up just when it's nearly time to go home. Plus, it's dark outside now. #
  • 16:46 @LexValentine Well they would if he's THAT big. Unless he was TOO big. #
  • 16:52 @Jaye_Valentine Exactly. #
  • 16:53 @LexValentine With difficulty I'd imagine. But i bet it's lots of fun trying. #
  • 16:53 just killing time till the bell goes now. we don't actually have abell, you understand. Well, there's on in the town hall, does that count? #
  • 17:04 @LexValentine Sounds like my kinda girl. #
  • 17:05 Right. Quitting time. that's me done. Off home for the night. #
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