Helen Glynn Jones

Everyday Magic

There’s a shop in the nearby village which I swear might be magic.

It’s not a large shop, not much bigger than my living room, yet it is packed floor to ceiling with stock. The window display boasts everything from slippers to antique jewellery to thermal underwear to shovels, and the table and racks outside have a similar array of goods.

Yet what is magical about the shop is that, no matter what you go in and ask for, they seem to have one. Or several, in different colours or sizes. You can look around the whole shop and not find what you want but then the shopkeeper, her dark eyes shining, will say, ‘Can I help you find something?’

‘Yes, I’m looking for a…’

And she will smile, then turn and reach into a shelf or box or tiny cupboard, and produce just the item you’re looking for. Or, she will send her husband, bespectacled and cardigan-ed, to the ‘back room,’ where he will emerge a short while later, the item you want in hand. And this item can be anything from a specific type of button to drain unblocker, an umbrella or a length or ribbon. Incense or a frying pan or garden tools or a tiny silver charm, shaped like a dragon. I’ve not yet asked for car parts or an elephant, but I’ve no doubt that if I did, something would be produced.

I have visions of their back room being of warehouse proportions, yet I know there is nothing out of the ordinary at the back of this row of shops. And yet, each time I go in there, they have just what I need. Sometimes my daughter and I try to challenge them by asking for an unusual item, something we may have had trouble finding somewhere else.

And yet another cupboard or drawer is opened, and the item appears.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like magic to me 🙂

Not a blog tour – lunch with Helen Jones

I recently had a lovely lunch with Sue Vincent and Stuart France – truly, I felt we could have talked for hours! Looking forward to the next one…

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

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It was all Helen’s fault… we wouldn’t have been at St Albans at all except we were meeting her not too far away. Having said that… just look what we would have missed! So we had plenty to talk about as we regained the car in the rain and headed off in the general direction of lunch and the third of the meet-ups we had planned with blogging friends.

This time we were meeting Helen Jones, author of the fantasy series The Ambeth Chronicles… and if you haven’t come across her yet, have a wander over to her blog, Journey to Ambeth.

We were far too early and debating whether or not to get a table. We needn’t have worried… Helen was already there too … a wave, a smile… and, for me at least, it felt as if I was meeting an old friend. The three of…

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Hugh’s Photo Challenge Week 11 – Rust

I’ve written about this object before. We found it on a beach in Ireland, just a little way around from where I photographed my rock face. We’d decided to climb along the rocks at the water’s edge to a small cove we could see in the distance. It turned out to be a fairly challenging undertaking, especially with a seven-year-old in tow, as the rocks became quite steep, deep pools of clear sea water just below our feet. But what amazing rocks they were! Full of fossils and layered and stacked, lines of colour showing how the landscape had built up over millennia.

We made it, eventually, to the little rocky cove, and found the pebbly beach strewn with bits of rusting twisted metal. The rusty object above was quite large and weighed an absolute ton, as I discovered when I tried to move it. The pebbles were in it when we got there – whether put there by the ocean or another human hand I don’t know. So I took a photo, captivated by the rusty colours against the grey stones. And now I’m entering it into Hugh’s latest Challenge.

The Joy of Synopses

Well, I’m being a little sarcastic, in case you hadn’t guessed. It’s no secret how much I love to write, but there are some things I enjoy writing far less than others. One of those things is the dreaded author bio – it’s such a fine line between sounding interesting and sounding like a tosser (and to be honest, not sure which side I’m currently on) 😀

The other is the synopsis. Right, I muttered, as I slogged and sweated my way through the very first one I ever wrote, I bet Tolkien wasn’t asked to distill Lord Of The Rings down to a single page summary.

Well, I bet he probably was, actually. And I’m no Tolkien. I’m just a writer with a book I need to send out to agents and publishers, and part of that process involves writing a synopsis.

I remember hearing an agent saying once that a synopsis was simply a blow-by-blow account of everything that happens in the book. All the main plot points and character, distilled into This happens. And then this happens. And then that happens. Sounds pretty easy, when you put it like that. But the actual writing of it is something I find quite arduous, trying to choose which events to include and which ones to omit.

So when Sacha Black posted a few weeks back about a book she’d read called ‘Write a Great Synopsis – An Expert Guide,’ by Nicola Morgan, I decided to check it out. And it was well worth doing so. Not only was I able to distill my story down to a 26-word pitch, perfect for the covering letter, I was then able to expand that pitch into a synopsis that fitted onto one page. The book was an easy read as well – short, well written and engaging. So I would definitely recommend it to anyone caught in the snarls of their synopsis, as it definitely helped me.

I still sweated and slogged a little, but not nearly as much as before 🙂

#Thursday Doors – Marine Building, Vancouver

This week’s door is a revolving door from the Marine Building, located at 355 Burrard St, Vancouver. Built in 1930 in the Art Deco style, the Marine Building was the tallest building in Vancouver until 1939, and for a brief time was the tallest building in the British Empire. It is currently used as private offices, though the exterior has appeared in several movies and TV shows, including Timecop, Blade: Trinity, The Fantastic Four (2005 version) and Smallville.

Here’s more of the beautiful detailing around the doors and the stained glass window above, which from inside has several bands of coloured glass, just visible in this image. (Bear with me – these photos are about twenty years old and I’ve done what I can with them.)

If you’re in Vancouver, wander down and have a look at the building – it’s well worth doing so. While there are no public galleries in the building, you can go into the lobby, plus there’s a restaurant on the ground floor. And here’s a bonus door – the magnificent Art Deco elevator doors, still in place. You can also see some of the floor detail, which is marble inlaid with the signs of the zodiac.

Thanks for checking out my Thursday Door, part of Norm 2.0’s Thursday Door Challenge. Hop on over to his site and see some more, or add a door of your own!

Wednesday Wander – Silves Castle, Silves, Portugal

Today has been icy cold, a real change from the springtime promise of earlier this week. So, as a little escape from the cold and grey, my Wednesday Wander this week is to Silves Castle, one of the best-preserved Moorish castles in Portugal.

The castle was constructed between the 8th and 13th century, when Silves was a Caliphate under Moorish rule, and one of the most important cities in the area. When the Moors were finally overthrown, it was by a fleet coming up the winding river from the sea – when you look out from the high battlements across the town, it’s easy to imagine how it would have been, seeing the boats coming closer and closer…

The castle has been restored and excavated, with the remains of bathhouses and rooms now exposed. The pinkish domed shape under the tree at the rear is the roof of the giant water cistern – you can go down inside it, as it’s empty now, but it was used to supply water to the town until as recently as 1920. Apparently people used to swim in it when it was full, which I think would be quite an eerie experience as it is several stories deep with stone pillars throughout. The domed roof echoes as you walk down the stairs, pale light bouncing off the painted interior from windows set high above.

As you can see, walking the battlements is a bit of a challenge if you’re not a fan of heights (and I’m not). There are guiderails only at the highest points, and the fall from the other side is quite steep. Still, I managed to capture this shot hanging over the side, showing the remains what was once an aqueduct.

The town of Silves is a lovely place to visit, with nice cafes, shopping and an interesting museum, where you can walk down inside an 8th century well as well as along the top of the ancient city walls. Herons were nesting on many of the rooftops, and we stood for quite a while watching them come and go, riding the air currents and tending to their young.

And that’s my Wednesday Wander for this week, a small slice of summer on a cold February day. Thanks for joining me 🙂

#BlogBattle – Silver And Black

One of the things I enjoy about blogging is the number of challenges offered by bloggers throughout the community. For writers there’s everything from sixty second flash fiction to short story competitions, and photographers could post something every day of the week and never run out of different blogspirations.

One writing challenge I’ve noticed is Rachel Ritchey’s #Blog Battle, and this week I’ve decided to give it a go. The theme is ‘Forest,’ so it’s right up my alley. The story below is a shorter section of a book which seems to be coming to me in dribs and drabs – it first appeared as part of a Flash Fiction Challenge by Ali Isaac, then another piece came along as one of Sacha Black’s Writespirations. This piece appeared when I saw the word ‘Forest.’

It’s a vampire story. I never thought I’d write a vampire story. I mean, I quite like them, loved the Lestat books back in the day, but my fantasy imaginings lean more towards fantastical otherworldly stuff. So it’s been kind of neat to get a new kind of story in my head and I’m embracing it as it comes. Perhaps I’ll write the whole book as a series of blog challenges!

So here is my entry for this week’s Blog Battle:

Silver And Black

‘C’mon.’

He held out his hand, a darker silhouette against trees silvered by the moon. I knew his eyes were a similar shade, but I couldn’t see them. I couldn’t see a damn thing, really, other than faint lines of pale branches against a clotted blackness.

‘You know I can’t-‘

‘Can’t?’ The silhouette tilted his head. I knew he was smiling, could hear it in his voice. But I couldn’t hear as well as he could. Another thing that pissed me off. And I had to be so careful how I moved, what expression showed on my face. I smoothed down my skirt with damp hands. This was stupid. I should just go home.

All at once he was in front of me, and I glimpsed a faint gleam in his silvery eyes before he bent his head to kiss me, sharp teeth grazing my lips, hot/cold breath turning my insides to honey. Okay, maybe I could do this, I thought as I clung to him, my hands sliding inside his jacket.

Then he was gone, just as fast, leaving me alone in the clearing. I froze.

‘Kyle?’

No answer. I tried to control my breathing, but I was starting to panic. Was this a trap? I strained my ears, listening, eyes wide against the darkness under the trees. Was something moving there?

Okay. Screw this.

I kept my face smooth, just in case he was somewhere, watching me. The branches creaked, eerie in the cold night, the forest whispering around me. I unzipped the pocket of my leather jacket, pulling out my phone. My mouth twisted a bit then, I couldn’t help it. But I had no choice. I had to call my mother.

The screen came to life under my fingers and I scrolled through. Not that there were many contacts on my phone. But before I could make the call arms came around me, and I felt teeth grazing my ear. I jerked involuntarily and the arms softened, letting go. Then Kyle was in front of me, one hand coming up to touch my cheek, smoothing away a tear that had snuck out, despite my best efforts.

‘Hey,’ he said. His voice was soft, all the teasing gone. ‘I’m sorry. I forget.’

I couldn’t say anything for a moment, mingled relief and anger choking me. I shook my head, tucking my phone back in my pocket then swallowed, clearing my throat. ‘I want to go home,’ I said, my voice higher than normal.

‘No.’ He breathed the word, his arms coming around my waist, his body close to mine. ‘I really am sorry. Will you stay with me, a while longer? There’s somewhere I’d like to show you. And then I’ll take you home, I promise.’

I purposely didn’t look at him. I didn’t need him trying to glamour me. Did I want to stay with him? My body was screaming, yes, Ohmygod, are you crazy, staystaystay. Then my mind joined in. Damn.

‘Fine,’ I said. Possibly a little ungracious but then, hey, he was the one who’d left me out here alone. ‘But,’ I went on, looking at him. ‘Don’t leave me again, or I am going.’

‘I promise,’ he said, taking my hand and bringing it to his mouth. I tensed. He smiled, his tongue flicking out against my fingers before he kissed them and let go. I took in a shaking breath.

‘So, where are we going?’

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Check out the other#BlogBattle entries, or maybe add one of your own!

White Rabbits

The first day of February has blown in blustery and clear, hints of blue in the swirling grey clouds. Temperatures here have been unseasonably warm for some time, daffodils and snowdrops appearing much earlier than usual, yet today feels more like Spring than any other so far this year.

Our neighbour’s tree, still holding a tattered birds nest from last year, is now covered with blossom. A dusting of white like snow from a distance, yet up close all delicate petals and yellow stamens, portents of fruit to come.

And I started the day, as I usually do, by saying ‘White Rabbits.’ My mother told me years ago that, if it’s the first thing you say on the first of the month, it’s considered good luck. There are varying sources for this tradition, which seems to be of British origin – apparently saying ‘Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit,’ is also appropriate.

Ali Isaac has written a lovely post about today being Imbolc, the first day of Celtic Spring. As for me, I’m also writing. A Thousand Rooms has now gone to several beta readers, a couple of new ideas are taking shape, plus I’ve the fourth Ambeth book to start editing. A busy year beckons and, now that the January blues are past, it’s time to move forward.

January was also my biggest month ever on this blog, which is really nice! If you’ve followed along this month, welcome, and thanks so much for joining me 🙂

Hugh’s Photo Challenge – Week 10 – Faces

This is for Hugh’s Weekly Photography Challenge, with this week’s theme being Faces. But not faces where you would expect to find them – rather, faces that appear unexpectedly.

Like this rock.

I found it on a beach in Ireland, on the northwest coast where the Atlantic rolls in and the rocks are filled with fossils. I don’t think him a fossil, unless a pixie decided to leave his smile etched into rock for all eternity, but I did think his wry expression worth capturing.

🙂

New Release – Brothers In Arms by Melissa Barker-Simpson

I met Mel, aka Melissa Barker-Simpson, at last year’s Blogger’s Bash in London. I was already a fan of her blog and her writing, so it was lovely to put a face to the name and meet her in person.

She’s just released her latest book, Brothers In Arms, and I have to say, I love the cover. Here’s more:

Four years ago, Andrew Butcher dropped off the grid. Now he is back, and determined to reconnect with his family. But Andrew is playing a dangerous game. In accepting the position as head of security for a known criminal, he risks alienating those he respects and admires – starting with Ellen Parker.

Ellen is a former Troop Commander with the Royal Artillery. In her role at Morgan and Fairchild, she has a reputation for being tough, loyal, and someone who always gets the job done. Andrew and Ellen share a past, one she would sooner forget. But circumstances force her hand, and though Ellen tries to resist, every road leads back to Andrew and a case that will change everything.

You can find Brothers In Arms on Kindle, Smashwords and IBooks, so hop on and download a copy. You can also visit Mel over at her blog, where her Midweek Writing Menagerie is a popular prompt and a great way to kickstart your own writing.

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Melissa Barker-Simpson is a multi-genre romance author. Her stories are about connection, friendship, and love in all its forms. So whether in a magical setting, an alternative universe, or a world where anything can happen – and often does – there is always an element of romance. Melissa is currently residing in the North of England with her two daughters, and when not writing, is fulfilling her other role as a British Sign Language Interpreter.

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