Jaye’s Week from 2018… Insanity

June 14, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / Leave a comment

From the middle of insanity…

I think my brain needs seeing to, as I can no longer make it behave the way I want it to.

Mind you; it must be contagious, for my laptop and tablet are exhibiting similar tendencies.

I spent last evening, first with the laptop and then the tablet, trying to run through my emails from the comfort of my armchair.

The laptop was on a go-slow, so I switched to the tablet.

This annoying piece of crap decided not to respond at all. Patience personified, I kept trying, only for the battery to drain away faster than a chocolate teapot. Something it shouldn’t have been able to do, seeing as it wasn’t doing anything.

I can feel the day coming when I take a hammer to both, as I am not sure how much longer my brain can cope with these insanity-inducing contraptions.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t aware of all the wonderful things they can do. When in a good mood, of course.

But I ask you, is it asking too much to have a piece of equipment that does what it says on the tin?

We wouldn’t stand for such substandard performance from any other electrical object, so for all that’s Holy, do we put up with it?

The main desktop PC is not immune to such shenanigans; it’s just sneakier. Its favourite trick now is ignoring whole sentences while I am busy typing them.

I get no warning, no sign that something has gone awry. The first I know about it is when I try to read the work back, only to find great yawning holes where parts of my story are missing.

I tell you; it is beginning to feel like a conspiracy…

On the bright side, and I try to find this even on those grey days, nothing affects my pen and paper. Sometimes I am so glad that I can write, blissfully, as far away from technology as I can get. As happy as Larry, knowing that I am in total charge of the creative process.

So, to end on a much happier note, I must report that the mindset for the new WIP is firmly in place. I have enjoyed being away from all the technobabble so much that I shall be doing a lot more of it!

I wrote this post way back at the end of 2018, and not much has changed since then!

Jaye’s Week ( In the garden, not the Office)

June 9, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 9 Comments

Yesterday afternoon I had planned on writing and working on a trailer for one of Anita’s books, but the sun was shining, and I couldn’t be asked.

We sat outside, drinking coffee, surrounded by all the jobs I have been neglecting so far this year. Not really my fault, for the weather hasn’t exactly been conducive for gardening lately. It’s either been freezing cold, raining, or both. So, I wasn’t feeling too guilty.

Maybe a little guilty about some of my bonsai perhaps, as there are a couple that desperately need repotting as they have used up all the goodness in their soil. There was also an orange blossom that I bought earlier in the year that has outgrown its pot.

Before I knew it, I was hard at work, and enjoying every minute.

I was also promising to spend a lot more time in the garden in future.

They say you are closer to God’s heart in a garden, and all I know is I am always happier when up to my elbows in rich garden soil, surrounded by all the wonders of nature.

I thought I would close with some of my favourite bonsai, the acres. Especially the ones with different colour variations in the leaves. I love the Lacy ones too and have included the one that refused to be a bonsai. It outgrew every pot I put it in, and eventually I planted it in the garden.

I hate to say this, but in a way, I hoped it would rain tomorrow so I could catch up on my writing! (or maybe not!)

Sorry, guys, I forgot something!

May 18, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 20 Comments

Yesterday, in my post JAYES WEEK,

I mentioned a surprise visitor to the Rock Garden,

but completely forgot to include the photograph!

Jaye’s Week ~ Escape

May 17, 2021May 17, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 17 Comments

It had been a long, busy, and complicated week and by Friday, I knew I had to escape, if only for a short while, or risk having a king-sized meltdown.

The weather wasn’t promising but that didn’t put me off.

The BW (boy wonder) was all for it, as he was just as frustrated as I was. Anita, however, is still not as strong as she would like to be, so took a little persuading as she doesn’t like being too far from the safety and comfort of home.

Luck was on my side for once, and in the afternoon, we piled into the car and made for the coast, the grey, overcast skies following us all the way. But the rain stayed away.

The sea was as calm as a mill pond, so not very inspiring, but we did catch the hovercraft coming and going, always a sight to behold.

We ended up walking along the sea front to Southsea Rock Gardens, one of my favourite places to walk around. Almost on the beach, this wonderful garden is full of wonderful plants and maintained by volunteers, and a grand job they do. Read my favourite post about this place.

I think it’s always a lovely place to visit, especially knowing the sea is right there and just as we were going to leave, this unusual visitor turned up, making the day even more special!

Anita enjoyed our escape and didn’t get too tired.

Me? I was grateful for the chance to get out of the house for a change!

(I wonder what this week will bring!)

Jaye’s Week ~ Time for a change?

May 12, 2021March 23, 2023 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 23 Comments

This might be a new year and all that, but am I the only one who feels like their magic spark has gone out?

I have been blaming this feeling on health and other problems, but maybe something else is going on?

We are constantly told that reading more will make us better writers and that we should blog with enthusiasm to build up our presence on the web. But I find that some of the things we do seem counterproductive and time-consuming. Confusion is not a happy place to be, so my brain has rooted out its thinking hat. Not sure if that might be an oxymoron!

Don’t get me wrong, reading does make me think and probably improves my vocabulary, but sometimes I end up reading too much, taking time away from my writing. When I first started blogging, I read everything I could get my hands on, desperate to learn the secrets of the black magic box of the blogosphere.

And admittedly, I learnt a lot.

Just lately, though, I have noticed a slight change in my attitude to all things blog related. It suddenly dawned on me that, as bloggers, we are trying far too hard to be the best at what we do with our constant searching for the golden egg. And because we are so busy running around like headless chickens, we are losing sight of our focus, the real reason we blog in the first place. We might even be missing the plot or choosing all the wrong moves.

I have been worried that there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything. With the increasing amount of emails and time spent on social media, there isn’t much left for writing or blogging, come to that. Not to mention any new ideas that need to be explored or any of our other interests.

It could be time to step away and have a long hard look at what we do. Time to prioritise and cherry pick what we really want to concentrate on, or even find different ways of doing it. Don’t ask me what, for my brain hasn’t got that far, yet. I just know it is time for something new, exciting even. How about that?

Life might be different when the weather settles down, but I doubt it. I think we must concentrate on what we can do and do well, instead of chasing so many rainbows…

What does everyone else think?

Jaye’s Week…

April 28, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 12 Comments

A non-eventful week, but instead of worrying about the lack of progress, I have been counting my blessings. And despite the lack of evidence, I did find quite a few!

Top of the list: Work on the WIP has finally begun, and that alone has made my heart sing.

I have started knitting again. Nothing like a new great grandchild to get me reaching for a ball of wool and it is a great way to relax in the evenings!

The garden has been my greatest blessing. Everything is waking up, reminding me that life does go on, no matter what, so thought I would share some of the best bits!

This beautiful shrub makes the whole garden glow…

This camelia is not doing very well but still manages to turn up with a smile…

Hope you all enjoyed the walk around my blossoming jungle…

Jaye’s Week…

April 16, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 4 Comments

This year, we are determined to put our writing house in order and try to do something new and vastly different.

Advertise!

We haven’t done this before, mainly because we couldn’t afford to, plus the not so small matter of not understanding the best way to do it.

But I have been reading up on the various ways of advertising, beginning with Amazon. Along the way, we have discovered so many things that should be in place before we even think of advertising!

Book covers must be brilliant and look professional.
Blurbs must be brilliant too, carefully worded to grab potential readers attention.
Content must be edited to within an inch of its life, and you need more than a working knowledge of keywords.
All books must be thoroughly and expertly edited!

I checked all our covers last week, and at least two need an upgrade. Bet you can guess which ones!

If you can’t afford to have your covers made by an expert, it can be challenging to come up with a keeper, but I am determined to try.

Blurbs have always been anathema for me, I try my best but cannot come up with anything I am happy with. At this rate, we will never get around to advertising!

I am determined to re-edit all our books and have enlisted the paid version of Grammarly for the job. Worth every penny, by the way, it finds all the errors in an efficient and friendly manner. I am always shocked to discover just how many!

All of this means I am neglecting the current WIP, but determination is calling the shots, and Anita is stepping up with posts of her own. Follow up posts will be posted on our progress and as many of the delights of advertising/marketing that I manage to discover!

Of course, we welcome any helpful comments on this subject…

Found these gorgeous flowers tucked away in a corner of our jungle!

Why Books & Bonsai ?

April 10, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 2 Comments

When we first started blogging nearly ten years ago, we had no clue as to the right or best way to go about it.

Looking around didn’t help like I thought it would, as there seemed to be a million ways to become a blogger.

What didn’t help either, was that I’m not computer literate, at least I wasn’t back then, so needed to find something simple that wouldn’t tax my poor old brain.

Many bloggers were using something called Blogger, so that is where we began our journey.

I found it relatively easy to use, but as time went on, I noticed a lack of traffic. This wouldn’t help with telling the world about our books, so I looked around to see what else I could manage and found WordPress.

The learning curve was a bit steep for me, but I liked the atmosphere and the possible connections. It was positively lively!

It cost a bit, too, but a small price to pay to finally get noticed.

Then there was a difference of opinion over what to call ourselves. We were not fans of the gimmicky labels, and as writers we were advised to use our names, basically so people can get to know us.

We noticed that most bloggers don’t do this. Their sites have proper names, like Myths of the Mirror, Daily Echo, Sun in Gemini, and Pensivity, to name but a few.

Eventually, after much thought and mucking about, we settled on a name that suits both of us. Books & Bonsai.

Books, because we both write, and Bonsai because I love my miniature trees almost as much as writing. Of course, other subjects find their way onto our website, as our interests are not limited to books and trees!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our friends and followers. You really make it a joy to get up in the morning!

Jaye’s Week…

March 25, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 8 Comments

Which is better? To be mentally busy or actually getting your hands dirty?

Figuratively speaking. Of course, there are a few jobs to do that will involve a fair amount of grime.

Suddenly it seems, the catch-up list has grown out of all proportion. At least, it seems that way to me at the moment. Especially when this is the first time I am on my own in the help department. Of course, there have always been those jobs that have my name written all over them, usually because I am taller, stronger, and/or probably far more determined than is good for me at 77 years.

Yesterday afternoon, I attacked the garden. I thought I would get in first for a change, but even with a long-sleeved jacket, the lethal brambles managed to draw blood. Most of these are now in a pile awaiting removal. Revenge is sweet, even though my back is killing me!

Yesterday morning we had one of our brainstorming sessions. Anita isn’t strong enough to help with the catch-up list, but her mind is as sharp as ever, and she is keen to change our way of thinking when it comes to our writing. Some of our enthusiasm seems to have faded a little, which is not surprising, considering the past year. So, we have both agreed to work on novella-length fiction to introduce some excitement AND increase our output. I can see the merit in this. I am still struggling to improve our blurbs, and one or two covers need replacing, but Books & Bonsai are all set for a lot more productivity!

I prefer to work in my office rather than anywhere else, which is probably why my gardening and housework enthusiasm is sadly lacking. There isn’t the time to get around to everything or the strength and energy to rattle through them. This year should be all about doing what makes us happy, and in our house, that means writing.

How about you?

Not all doom and brambles in our garden!

Jaye’s Week…

February 26, 2021 / Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes / 7 Comments

I started the week in good spirits despite having a roaring toothache.

There is so much I want to do, book and writing-wise. The bonsai are beginning to wake up, and the garden is still a jungle. Several jobs have been neglected around the house, but I am learning to move from room to room with my eyes averted!

Seriously though, I am beginning to wonder about my job description.

Head cook and bottle washer
Housekeeper and accounts clerk
Part-time carer and medication assistant
Full time writer/blogger/editor
Bonsai enthusiast and part-time gardener

DIY/decorator should be on this list, but I just can’t make myself do it. Not sure how I can manage to fit everything in, but I must try. Even though I am aware of that old maxim, Jack of all Trades, master of none…

~~~~~~

The dentist assured me that there was no infection last week and that the aching hole in my gum would stop hurting very soon. I didn’t believe him then, and I wasn’t buying it now, for the pain is worse, accompanied by some severe throbbing. Made an appointment to see him on Thursday.

While I waited, I tried to find any trace of the creative spark in my head and failed, so I resigned to doing routine work on the computer. This wasn’t easy either, what with the pain in my mouth and the granddaddy of all headaches, but it was something.

After a speedy Xray, the dentist had to admit I had an infection. My swollen gum must have cinched it, and I toddled off home with some strong antibiotics.

A walk around the garden provided me with some lovely images to close with…