Throwback Thursday: Not My Life… #Mystery #Fiction

Dreaming sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

All too often, it can be anything but. Not exactly nightmarish, but many weird, confusing images that can make you feel uncomfortable.

You find yourself worrying about them; what do they mean? Is there a message there somewhere? Why do we dream?

Doctors and psychologists have come up with some interesting theories over the years, but do they really know?

Common sense would seem to suggest that it is just the brain sorting through the day’s images when we are asleep, and most of the time, it does sound likely. But what about all those dreams that seem to mean something? Or those that seem to warn us of danger?

Then there are those that appear to predict the future, which then come true. What are we supposed to think about those?

Personally, I don’t dream much, not that I can remember anyway. The odd romantic fantasy about whomever I fancy at the time, but these are getting rarer. (unfortunately!)

Sarah Curtis, the lead character in Not My Life, is being driven slowly insane by upsetting and confusing dreams where she seems to be someone else entirely. Someone very real and in a lot of trouble.

This excerpt picks up the story when Sarah has wandered into the woods and gets lost…

I didn’t know where to go, so I let fate lead me off towards the woods. I walked for a while, trying not to think of anything. I told myself I should be feeling the beauty of the place.
The trees in their splendid autumn colours. Leaves fall here and there, making little drifts under the trees. I had heard somewhere that catching a falling leaf was supposed to bring good luck. I tried, but it was impossible. They seemed to fall gently towards you and then, at the last minute, darted away on a capricious breeze.

Trying to catch one frustrated the hell out of me. I gave up and sat for a while on a dry log, eating some chocolate I found in my pocket. Then I realised I had no idea of where I was and it was getting dark. I should have brought a loaf of bread with me to leave a trail, like Hansel and Gretel.
I didn’t feel too afraid; they would find me sooner or later. And later might be better. I walked on between ever-thicker undergrowth, hoping it was the way out. That a path, any path, would appear soon.

I found myself in a clearing with a pool, large rocks and slow-running water. My throat was dry enough for me to scoop up a handful, and it was surprisingly good. Deciding I was definitely lost and too tired to walk any further, I gathered up as many fallen leaves as I could to lie down in and buried myself for the night.

The temperature had dropped considerably, and my bed of leaves gave little warmth. I slept fitfully, dreaming of who I really was. A girl called Kelly. And Tommy, my four-year-old brother, who once again had been sent to the coal cellar as punishment for wetting his bed. It wasn’t his fault. Father had made him drink far too much water; he must have known he would wet the bed. And mother, she did nothing to stop his cruel games.
There had been times in the past when she did, only to be cruelly beaten herself, without saving Tommy or myself from whatever punishment he saw fit. I knew the house I was in, these people, my parents, as well as my own skin. Yet there was another place with gentle people I could sense but somehow couldn’t reach.

Soft cold rain washed the dream away, and I awoke alone on a bed of wet leaves. Lost, waiting to be found. Too tired to move. Too dark to try to find my way out. Morning couldn’t be too far away; I would try again then…

We would love some feedback for this book…

Milo… growing up!

You will probably remember Milo. That adorable marmalade and white kitten who arrived unexpectedly just before Christmas?

Turned out to be a bit of a monster. Still adorable, of course. Very affectionate and all that, but still a monster.

There are times when we wonder if there can be such a thing as a cat with schizophrenia, as he does seem to have a split personality. He can leap from docile to demonic in seconds, and his temper has to be seen to be believed. He also has one hell of an appetite and has grown so much with no sign of stopping.

Milo had been desperate to go out for ages but had to wait until he was vaccinated and chipped. When we finally unlocked the cat flap, we thought he would sail through it, more than ready to explore. He had spent enough time looking out of windows, so his reluctance seemed odd.

We tried everything. We put his toys outside where he could see them. This didn’t work. He followed me everywhere, always hoping for food, so I went outside, expecting him to follow. Not a chance. Maybe he knew there was no food out there?

After a while, we gave him a little shove. We were getting a little desperate by then, as he still wanted to go out, but only if we opened the door.

He liked being outside, although he didn’t venture very far. When he had enough, he shot back through the flap like a bullet! To this day, he won’t go out through the flap but always comes back that way.

See what we mean? Milo is a very crazy cat. His temper is worrying us, though.

We first began to notice it in the mornings after our number one son leaves for work. Milo runs around the house like a ninja on speed, wrecking anything that gets in his way. We learned the hard way not to interfere or offer any condolences, to simply wait until he calmed down. I was badly bitten just by offering to console him, which hurt my pride somewhat.

His favourite pastime is trying to rip the roller blinds in the living room down. He can jump to reach the chains but also hangs on the bottom, managing to drag all the material from the roller. All carpets are his scratch pad, despite spraying them with a multitude of deterrents.

So you see, life with Milo is certainly different and not what we are used to. Well, mostly. When he is asleep or affectionate, he is lovely…

WIP Wednesday #Fiction

Today, I am very pleased to report that I have suddenly found myself in that envious position of being totally obsessed with my WIP, The Mystery of Folly’s End.

It is constantly at the front of my mind, obscuring all others. Well, almost all of the others! Normally, at this time of year, I am seed-watching in the garden. Dropping everything to see if anything has sprouted, literally every few minutes, if I am honest.

After so many weeks of going through the motions, re-reading the existing chapters until almost sick of the sight of it. Worrying myself to death that it would never be good enough, and/or what on earth was I doing? To finally see the golden light at the end of the tunnel. I couldn’t be happier.

The one thing that was worrying me was I couldn’t find a twist for the ending. My characters were almost as good as I could make them but for the villain of the piece. That problem resolved itself this morning when a daddy of a notion dawned on me. Sorry, no spoilers from me, but I am so excited!

There is nothing like being in an amazingly good mood, to suddenly find more time for everything else, is there? And heaven knows, the list of must-dos is getting longer. In very small increments, I am slowly wading through the list, all the while desperate to get back to my writing.

Wishing writers everywhere a fabulous surge of enthusiasm too!

Make Me Clean ~ by Tina Baker #Fiction #Women’sPsychologicalFiction #Review @TinaBakerBooks

She will leave your surfaces sparkling.
But she may well leave you dead…

Maria is a good woman and a good cleaner. She cleans for Elsie, the funny old bird who’s losing her marbles, with the terrible husband. She cleans for Brian, the sweet man with the terrible boss. She cleans for the mysterious Mr Balogan, with the terrible neighbours.

If you’re thinking of hiring her, you should probably know that Maria might have killed the terrible husband, the terrible boss and the terrible neighbours. She may also have murdered the man she loved.

She didn’t set out to kill anyone, of course, but her clients have hired her to clean up their lives, and she takes her job seriously – not to mention how much happier they all are now. The trouble is, murder can’t be washed out. You can only sweep it under the carpet, and pray no one looks too closely…

What people are saying…

Darkly funny and completely gripping from the first page to the last, Make Me Clean is one thriller you won’t be able to scrub from your mind. Perfect for fans of Harriet Tyce, Fiona Cummins and My Sister the Serial Killer.

Make Me Clean is Tina Baker’s best yet’ – ALICE CLARK-PLATTS
‘She has topped even her first two novels. Brilliant’ – EDDIE MAIR
‘Quirky, dark and delicious’ – CAROLINE ENGLAND

‘Insightful, moving, dramatic and darkly funny’ – DAILY MAIL
‘Brings a whole new meaning to domestic noir’ – THE TIMES
‘Funny, grim and very touching’ – HARRIET TYCE

About the Author

Tina Baker

Tina Baker, the daughter of a window cleaner and fairground traveller, worked as a journalist and broadcaster for thirty years and is probably best known as a television critic for the BBC and GMTV. After so many hours watching soaps gave her a widescreen bum, she got off it and won Celebrity Fit Club. She now avoids writing-induced DVT by working as a Fitness Instructor.

Call Me Mummy is Tina’s first novel, inspired by her own unsuccessful attempts to become a mother. Despite the grief of that, she’s not stolen a child – so far. But she does rescue cats, whether they want to be rescued or not.

Our Review

A dark, twisted and brilliant portrait of a woman. A deeply flawed yet very human woman.

The minute I started reading, I wanted to know more about Maria and what had happened to her to make her so different.

What would I find lurking in her past, or would I be sorry to learn the truth?

Make Me Clean turned out to be a brilliant read, an intriguing drama, darkly funny, and laced with such heart-breaking emotion that moved me to tears on several occasions.

I loved this story so much I will be reading more of Tina Baker’s stories…

Milo learns How to Handle the Catflap…

I thought that most cats would jump at the chance of freedom when presented with a means of escape.

Not Milo, bless him. He simply didn’t cotton on, and I was beginning to think he never would.

I have done all the right things, shown him how it works, and stood there for ten minutes holding it open.

But the penny wasn’t dropping.

He is desperate to go out, but leaving the door open wasn’t really an option, what with the weather we have been getting lately.

If he was a good boy and always used the litter tray, it wouldn’t be a problem. He could take all the time in the world to figure it out. But he has adopted other places to use. Too many other places, so it is getting a bit crucial.

I have been diligent about keeping the litter tray clean, even changing the brand of pellets, but nothing has helped.

He has been outside, which should have encouraged him, but he seems so nervous out there, almost a scaredy cat.

Whereas indoors, he is anything but nervous. If you could see the way he flies around the room at top speed like a ginger ninja, you wouldn’t think he would be scared of anything.

Yesterday, we were in the yard, and the wind blew the door closed. Something must have spooked him, for he made for the door and vanished through the catflap like he had been doing it for years. Yay, progress, I thought.

Not from inside, though. I have even used strong tape to hold the flap open, but he didn’t oblige…

This was one problem I didn’t expect, hopefully not for much longer…

Jed: A Psychic Surveys Supernatural Thriller ~ Review ~ #Fiction @shani_struthers

From the bestselling Psychic Surveys series comes a full-length, standalone novel featuring one of its most treasured, formidable, and mysterious characters – Jed.

As soon as Ava Kent spots Jed in her local rescue centre, she knows, just as much as he does, they are perfect for each other. It’s love at first sight, and despite her husband’s misgivings, she offers him a home.

Not much is known of Jed, other than he is a stray picked up from the streets of Eastbourne, but he soon proves himself a loyal and loving companion – in fact, he’s something of a lifesaver. When Ava suffers the traumatic birth of her first child alone at home, it’s Jed that somehow escapes the house to find help.

Ava, though, is plunged into depression. She feels lonely and vulnerable as a new mother, an outcast. It’s as though a darkness has attached itself to her, when previously life was blessed. And it won’t let go.

She’s surrendering to it, bit by bit, almost willingly.

As loving and as loyal as Jed is, he’s just a dog.
Can he save again, someone who doesn’t want to save herself?

About the Author

Shani Struthers is the author of twenty-six supernatural thrillers (so far), some set in various locations in England, others in more far-flung destinations such as Venice and America. Having been brought up with an understanding of the Occult and alternative views on religion, she threads this knowledge throughout her books, often drawing on real-life experiences of her own, from people she has known and from well-known Occult figures. Her Psychic Surveys series has proved very popular, becoming global Amazon genre bestsellers. There is also the This Haunted World series – standalone books set in and around the world’s most haunted places. They too have topped the Amazon genre charts, along with the more romantic Jessamine and Comraich, plus the Reach for the Dead series. Standalone psychological thriller, Summer of Grace, is also set in America, in the dark heart of Kansas! For Christmas Ghost Stories, check out Blakemort, Eve, Carfax House, The Damned Season and Wildacre.

To keep up to date with new releases, hit the ‘Follow’ button on Amazon and/r subscribe to my newsletter via my website: http://www.shanistruthers.com.

Our Review

The story opens with a married couple looking for a puppy at a rescue centre.

Ava is pregnant and wants the baby and puppy to grow up together.

That plan was scuttled as soon as Ava sees Jed, a magnificently large black Labrador.

Definitely not a puppy, but I would have chosen him too.

A new house, a new dog, and a new baby. And all possible disasters just waiting to happen.

When the baby decides to arrive early, Ava is alone with only Jed for company. This is where the story changes.

At first, a positive change, swiftly followed by darker, more sinister ones.

A nightmare made real…

What was This?

Macro Monday’s post puzzled several of our readers, so I promised to reveal all.

I must admit that this had me scratching my head until I found out what it was. That’s what I love about macro photography. It can be something you see every day, but because it’s a close-up image, you don’t recognise it.

Drum roll…

The fruit of the horse chestnut tree

A tall, broad tree of woodlands, roadsides and parks, the introduced horse chestnut is familiar to many of us. The ‘conker’ producing tree – its shiny, brown seeds appearing in their spiny cases in autumn.

The horse chestnut is a tall, broad tree that has been widely planted in parks and gardens. Originally native to the mountains of northern Greece and Albania, it was introduced into the UK in 1616 and has since become naturalised. In April and May, rows of horse chestnuts lining roads and in woodlands provide a spectacular display of ‘candles’ – large, upright flower spikes ranging in colour from white to deep pink. In autumn, it sheds its spiny-cased seeds, known as conkers.

How to identify

The horse chestnut has hand-shaped, palmate leaves with five to seven-toothed leaflets. It displays large, pinky-white flower spikes, and its spiny-shelled fruits contain seeds, or ‘conkers’.

Did you know?

The conkers of the horse chestnut are collected by children everywhere for competitions: attached to strings, two conkers are alternately flicked at each other until one breaks. Taking this a step further, the world conker championships are held at Ashton in Northamptonshire in October every year.

(from www.wildlifetrusts.org )

Macro Monday…

Image by Christoph Schütz from Pixabay 

I love macro photography, but finding really good images can be difficult sometimes.

Up close and personal, it can be difficult to know what you are looking at.

I know what this image is, but do you?