Category: cycling

editmonkey on your shoulder

Would you appreciate or benefit from having a little EDITMONKEY sitting on your shoulder, helpfully pointing out when you:

  • use the wrong there/their, stationery/stationary, affect/effect
  • should have a full-stop in place of a comma
  • are missing quotation marks
  • are using a passive voice
  • use some words too often
  • use words like very that can be replaced by stronger ones

?

Well, Economy Edits was created to help the indie writer on a budget. Find us @

economyedits.wordpress.com

 

 

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a FREE copy of MY book for YOUR review

Hi.

Are you interested in reading one of my books for free in exchange for an Amazon review?

That’s why you’re here, right? I thought so.

Simply let me know which of my books below you would like to START with (see what I did there… enticing you to read one then another… subtle, huh?), and I will email you a copy. Easy. 🙂

And there are FIVE EXCITING OPTIONS. (Did you become extra-excited by the caps?)

 

First up, my romantic tale of one woman’s life:

seven sneezes jun22 cover

 

This follows Lizzy Anderson from her first birthday when she realises she sneezes in sevens (hence the title – had to be a reason, right?). She struggles through a tough and lonely childhood, meeting the love of her life aged 9, and again at 18. They begin a life together, and we are drawn in to her journey, hungry for her highs and lamenting her lows as she weaves through adulthood, parenthood, love and death during one woman’s life, leading to old age and the inevitable. ( approx 310 pages / 93,000 words  )

 

Next, my possibly confusing dare of a read:

tmst 900

This story centres around Ed, a middle-aged, frustrated would-be-writer, family man struggling to maintain his grasp on a reality he finds he never really wanted, having been caught in the flow where there were more interesting lives he could have lived, if only he’d made other choices at three key moments in his life. When a catalyst creates a window of opportunity for him, Ed decides to write the novel he’s always dreamed about, but gets lost in a metafictional frenzy of ideas, struggling to find his true self while he and seven others live the same life. ( approx 730 pages / 275,000 words )

 

Next, a deliberate change of pace with my good friend Wonky:

new wonky

Wonky lives in a carpet, and is the protector of 12 yr old Odd Bob, an overweight and often-bullied friend who used to talk with Wonky in the downstairs loo of his family home. As he grew up, he lost faith in Wonky, but Wonky’s always been there, trying to help and do the best he can for his friend. When the bullying worsens and Wonky’s frustration grows regarding being unable to help as much as he wants to, something strange was always going to happen. And it does. This is the first tale in a series. The second is already available. The third will be started soon. ( approx 40 pages / 12,000 words )

 

And finally, my two collections, the first being three novellas set in a cafe:

kcw new

In the first tale, Cafe Books, a young man returns to his home town to help his mum with her cafe. He swore he would never return because of past problems with one particular girl, but can’t deny his mother. Then the girl walks into their cafe and all kinds of feelings, memories and secrets are exposed. In the second tale, Ten Minute Windows, a lonely and frustrated mother frequents the same cafe and sits at her favourite table every day, for just ten minutes, being the only time she has for herself. One day there’s an obnoxious man at her table, and he keeps coming back, day after day. In the third tale, Kissing The Mist, an undecided young fiancee seeks the advice of her much-loved, book-fan grandmother, bringing another old, second hand book as a gift. Only, this time the book comes with a history and the grandmother’s past unfolds and unravels the young woman’s delicate grasp on the life she’s found herself living.

 

And finally, my collection of (mostly) shorter stories:

swimming cover 0107

This features ten of my favourite stories from the last twenty years, and include: a Pushcart Prize nominated story of two alienated sisters and one twisted father; a chance meeting in a public park between a man, a cheeky young girl, her dog and her mother; a super-short life story of an unappreciated working man who lives for his family; a once-exiled flasher who dares to return to his childhood village hoping for some kind of redemption; two co-workers struggling with their undisclosed-yet-known-about affair and their own feelings toward each other; a man talking with his lover’s cat at night in the garden, trying to right their problems, but only exacerbating them; a much-mocked/unloved father feeling compelled to spend more and more time in his dream-based reality; a mother and her young child mourning the loss of the dear man in their life, while trying to remain positive; an office clerk struggling with a family death and his drinking problems during an unwanted anniversary; and a man reflecting on his abused childhood and abusive wife, desperate to believe in something.

 

So there we have it. Or them. Hopefully something will tickle your fancy and you’ll want to read. And then review. Just leave me a comment or send me an email with your (first, heh) choice and I’ll express deliver a pdf copy to your inbox.

Many thanks for reading this far. I just wish I had something extra special to offer you by way of reward… oh wait…

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first reader EVER

Somebody somewhere in the world has finally dared to take on the behemoth that is TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE

tmst 900

That brave sole is Tamsin at http://writocracy.blogspot.co.uk/

Good luck to you, my friend. I eagerly await your review as and when you finally find the time to read my beloved novel.

🙂

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yes, you! – my blog followers…

I’m speaking specifically to those who are already following my blog, but anyone who signs up will be eligible.

Eligible for what, you ask? Well…

For anyone who clicks that little Follow box over there ===>

to Follow My Blog via email, I will send you a specially created for you –yes, with your name included– PDF copy of any one story from my Swimming In Clouds short story collection.

Your PDF will include:

  • the story you chose 😉
  • your name
  • the date you subscribed
  • my thanks

So don’t delay, sign up today, and receive your free story.

 

 

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3words will be back in JULY

I’ve still 5-10 days remaining in my current 3words story, depending on whether it lasts all the way, but we WILL be back and playing in JULY, too, if you think you might be interested in joining in.

Sure would be nice to not be playing with myself.

😮

 

The Idea?

It’s simple –

  1. I choose a character name and a setting so we all begin in the same place
  2. Every day I post 3words via Twitter using #3wordswonky69
  3. Every day anyone participating writes 100 words of a short story INCLUDING those 3words
  4. If you want, post your 100 words via the #3wordswonky69 or on your blog or keep private
  5. Twenty-five to thirty days later (at the end of the month) you have a 2500-3000 word story
  6. Perhaps I’ll anthologise any interested participants’ stories into an eBook?

As we progress, others involved can suggest words for us to use, and no doubt I will incorporate some.

Anyone wanting to play along either post a comment to let me know, or just simply play along via the#3wordswonky69

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fatbiker update

It’s been a while since I did a fatbiker/weight type update, I think? At least, it feels like it…

Just checked, and it’s been a month. 😮

And the first FUNFATFRIDAY was back on March 7th, when I clocked in at 321 lbs. 😮 😉

Well, we are now 3 months on from that, but at least things are SLOWLY moving in the right direction. But then I WANTED slow, because it meant there weren’t drastic changes that I might react badly to and not be able to cope with. So yeah, slow is good for me here.

Last night I stepped back on the scales, not sure what I was expecting as I don’t think I feel or look any different. But was surprised to see that scary black marker fluttering on the 314 lbs marker.

So that’s half a stone lost, albeit in 14 wks. But half a pound a week would still see me lose another STONE by Christmas, and I’ll be happy with that. And then another half-stone by my next birthday, being TWO whole STONES in just over a year. And, given how I was slowly but surely inching up every week, I will definitely take that.

Ok, FATBIKER-dave out. 🙂

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3words – june

Ok, so 3words is returning for June.

It’s simple –

  1. I choose a character name and a setting so we all begin in the same place
  2. Every day I post 3words via Twitter using #3wordswonky69
  3. Every day anyone participating writes 100 words of a short story INCLUDING those 3words
  4. If you want, post your 100 words via the #3wordswonky69 or on your blog or keep private
  5. Thirty days later (at the end of the month) you have a 3000 word story
  6. Perhaps I’ll anthologise any interested participants’ stories into an eBook?

As we progress, others involved can suggest words for us to use, and no doubt I will incorporate some.

Anyone wanting to play along either post a comment to let me know, or just simply play along via the #3wordswonky69

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four-fold fun – my BIG WEB INTERVIEW

Ok, so of course there is this:

1. my BIG INTERVIEW… here: MY BIG INTERVIEW LINK

 

And then to REALLY get into the spirit of the event there is also this:

2. my short story collection SWIMMING IN CLOUDS is available for FREE

 

But not only that… There are also two other fabulous offers-on-the-day:

3. my other short story collection KISSING CAFE WINDOWS is now HALF-PRICE

 

AND:

4. my novel TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE is ALSO available for HALF-PRICE.

 

All can be found here: me @ amazon

Wow. What a day. Here’s hoping you enjoy it even half as much as I will. 🙂

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