I love books. It comes with the territory of being a writer, I reckon.
My fondest childhood memories involve visits to our local library and afternoons spent curled up on the sofa or in my bedroom, devouring the pages of my beloved books. I even used to imagine I could be like Matilda from the famous Roald Dahl story book. She was my childhood heroine.
#AtoZChallenge Badge B
#AtoZChallenge: B is for Booklover
Books are visual. Books are tactile. Books have a unique smell that just makes you feel safe and exhilarated at the same time. They take you to foreign countries, alien landscapes, and they introduce you to people that you may never meet in real life due to circumstance and fate. I love the crisp, clear sound of a page when you turn it, and that crack of the spine when you open a book for the very first time. Yummy!
It is incredibly difficult for me to walk past a bookshop. I have to step inside, even just for five minutes, so that I can wander around and gaze lovingly at the contents of the shelves. My favourite bookshops are the second-hand ones, where you find dusty old stacks, piles of treasured paperbacks and hardbacks, and dimly lit, narrow corridors between the bookshelves. Bliss!
Contemporary adult Gothic fairytale “The Wolf and the Fairy” by Catherine Green.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Hello and welcome to the #AtoZChallenge 2016. Blimey, the year has flown by yet again! This year I have decided to focus my A to Z blog challenge on everything that makes up SpookyMrsGreen.
I will reveal some insights about me, LGBT fantasy book writer Catherine Green, I will share aspects of my personality, and interests and pursuits that all come together to form this magnificent blog that we see today.
#AtoZChallenge Badge A
#AtoZChallenge: A is for Authorpreneur
My word for the letter A is Authorpreneur. It is a word I have picked up during my adventures in becoming a published author. Back in the early days of my professional writing career, I was so excited to have finally been published, that I neglected to research the real implications of our industry. An actual publishing company liked my books enough to want to publish me, and I was ecstatic! I was also incredibly naive. During the years that followed, I have explored lots of avenues in creative writing, freelance writing, and how I can earn real money doing what I love.
It is not easy, let me tell you. I have learned many hard lessons in the past six years, and I am still learning more every day. My income falls way short of anything that can be called a living wage, and I am very lucky to have a husband with a steady, full-time job that supports us both. It is not enough, and so I simply cannot sit at home writing my novels and short stories. I have to diversify. I have to monetise my websites, approach potential clients, and do all manner of things that I previously knew nothing about. It is very much a work in progress, but it finally seems to be progressing in the right way. See you tomorrow, for the next letter in the #AtoZChallenge.
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen!
Phew! We made it to the end of another term at school, and I for one am very glad to have a couple of weeks to recover from the daily challenge of the school run.
My daughter received her second certificate for 100% attendance at school this week, and I am taking that as a personal win because I was the one who got her there, every day without fail, with the toddler and the dog in tow. It was tough, but we did it!
Catherine and children walking by the canal in Middlewich
#AtoZChallenge 2016
This weekend I am looking forward to some spiritual adventures at the Rosemary Douglas Mind, Body and Spirit event in Stafford. Come and see me if you are in the Staffordshire and West Midlands vicinity. I am talking about my Redcliffe novels series and my upcoming release The Vampire of Blackpool, as well as sharing stories of my ghost hunting adventures and my life as the pagan housewife.
And then we have the annual A to Z blogging challenge. It has taken me a bit by surprise this year, although I did remember to sign up a little earlier than I usually do. My theme for the #AtoZChallenge 2016 is, quite simply, all about me. You see I had a little identity crisis a while back, and I realised that my blog needed some direction. So I called myself the pagan housewife. If reflects a little bit of everything that makes up SpookyMrsGreen: author, mother, ghost hunter, pagan, wife and everything else in between.
Come and join me throughout April as I share stories, snippets and anecdotes. I might throw in a Tarot reading, or an Angel card reading. I might share some photographs from my adventures in the natural world in the North West of England. I might talk about my children and my family. Who knows? There is a lot to discuss. See you later, and have a fabulous Easter Weekend!
April A-Z Blogging Challenge Participant
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Join the SpookyMrsGreen family as they have breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Bridgemere Garden Centre.
#MummyMonday Meeting the Easter Bunny at Bridgemere Garden Centre
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Bridgemere Garden Centre
I had decided that it was time we had a family treat for Easter, but it transpired that I am actually working all of Easter weekend at the Rosemary Douglas mind, body and spirit event. Anyway, after a little investigation, and remembering that we celebrated the Spring Equinox yesterday, I found our way to one of my favourite local destinations.
Bridgemere Garden Centre is a fabulous place to visit. I often go there for crafting supplies from Hobbycraft, and for coffee and cake in one of the restaurants. This time I took the family, more specifically my husband and our two daughters, for a special event. We were offered the opportunity to have Breakfast with the Easter Bunny courtesy of Wyevale Garden Centres. I knew it would be fun and worthwhile, but I wasn’t quite sure how my young children would react to the Easter Bunny when he made his appearance. As it turned out, they loved him!
A tasty breakfast
Our breakfast was very tasty and the children’s food had been cooled down before serving so that they could tuck in straight away. That little touch is something very special to a parent who is trying to placate a starving child while desperately blowing on their food so they don’t burn their tongues again (you know what I mean!). Our host, Freya, was very efficient and helpful, and she developed rapport with the children straight away so that they chatted to her like old friends.
The event was planned to be cosy and private, and the children were entertained with Easter goodies that included posters to colour in, Cadburys Mini Eggs to eat, and a free cuddly toy. My elder daughter chose a duckling, while my toddler chose a little bunny rabbit. The toys are lovely and will make perfect keepsakes for cherished memories. After breakfast, Freya took us all on an Easter egg hunt in the garden centre shop, offering sweets as prizes for the children. Then we returned to the restaurant where the children decorated their own Easter themed biscuits. That was a very fun activity, as you can see!
Meeting the Easter Bunny
Our breakfast party ended with the long-anticipated meeting with the Easter bunny. He strolled around the room, meeting children and parents, getting up to mischief and making everyone laugh. It was a lovely event, and I certainly recommend it to other parents. We plan to return another time since it is easily accessible and makes a nice day out when you need a change of scenery. Our girls had lots of fun running around the outside garden centre, where they admired the dinosaurs in the Jurassic Golf compound, and they played in various summer houses that were dotted around. My husband even found an unusual but appropriate birthday gift for his mum, so it was a winner all around!
#MummyMonday Breakfast with the Easter Bunny craft activities
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: I received free tickets for this event in return for an honest review.
We are all familiar with the old stereotype of the writer: scribbling away in a dimly lit garret, cobwebs hanging from the ceilings and shelves, shoulders hunched protectively over their latest work of art, and a bottle of something golden and alcoholic sitting beside them on the desk. Ah, bliss!
Do you enjoy a drink while writing? Read my blog post to see what helps loosen my creative flow and which alcoholic drinks I prefer to sip while writing my LGBT fantasy books for adults.
“Christmas with the Vampires” by Catherine Green. An Edwardian vampire short story.
A Little Tipple to Aid the Creative Flow
I know that is a totally unrealistic representation of the 21st century writer, but I still find the romantic notion very appealing. And yes, I do enjoy a drink myself. Indeed, I regularly reward myself with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer in the evenings after I put the children to bed. I deserve the treat, dammit! But I am getting a little bored of the same old bargain booze. I want something different, something that better suits my mood and my feelings about being a writer.
So, I discovered The Drink Shop. Wow, what a selection! I mean, they have just about any alcoholic drink you could dream of. I saw a bottle of Britsh Royal Navy Imperial Rum on sale for a mere £999. Yes, that was in the sale! Blimey. I need to sell a heck of a lot more books before I could even consider purchasing such an extravagant treat. But a girl can dream…
Actually, I am more of a wine drinker, but I am open to suggestions, and I do enjoy a glass of Baileys or a martini and lemonade once in a while. What’s your favourite tipple? My dad is a whisky drinker. My mum enjoys a glass of port on occasion. And now I feel thirsty… Cheers!
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen!
One very important element for a small business is the business card. We have to do a lot of networking in order to share our brand and our name with the people we want to work with.
All of these networking events need props, and the best kind of prop is a business card and flyers. I have played about with several different styles of business card from several different suppliers during the past few years, but now I feel I have found the one. It is really quite exciting!
SpookyMrsGreen Business Cards Review
Product Review: Aura Print Business Cards
As a result of my networking activity, I was approached by Aura Print who are based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They were looking for bloggers to sample a new range of luxury business cards. These are not your average bit of card. Oh no. These are good, solid, chunky business cards, and I love them! I took them with me to an event last weekend, and they were very well received. Several people were particularly impressed with the colour core design feature, and they feel nice and substantial in your hand.
#ProductReview Aura Print Business Cards
Hard to impress husband
Even my husband was impressed, and it takes a lot to get a reaction from him. I mean, he is used to me going off on my weird and wonderful adventures, and talking about my networking events and online activities, but I don’t think he really listens. He studied my new business cards, and he appreciates the tactile design. What do you think?
LGBT werewolf fantasy story “It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels)” by Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: I received the product in return for an honest review.
My kitchen renovation is still not complete. I have now been without a cooker for 3 weeks, and my sink has been gone for 2 weeks.
Our new kitchen has been installed, but not without some problems. First, there were the usual nuances of missing items. These small issues were easily and quickly rectified by the very helpful staff at Magnet in Stoke-on-Trent.
My Kitchen Renovation: Gutted and empty kitchen
My Kitchen Renovation Challenge
My real challenge has been the sink and the cooker. Word of warning: if you are planning a small kitchen renovation, please ensure you are clued up about all the fixings and fittings that you might need. In our naivety, my husband and I believed that everything came included with the sink, cooker and hob that we purchased. Not so. The sink supplier, Franke, apparently decided fairly recently that they would cease to include a waste pipe that connects the sink bowl with the half-bowl that we chose. We did not discover this fact until after the sink was installed, our plumber came out to connect it, and discovered the missing item. Now I am waiting for him to fit us in for another visit, after he detours to the trade supplier for the part that we need.
As for my cooker, well it is currently providing a rather tasteful ornamental feature in our living room. We discovered that we may have accidentally thrown out some vital brackets for our hob with the packaging (whoops!), and have had to reorder the parts. They have arrived and are now waiting installation. After that we should, hopefully, be able to install the cooker. For now I am washing dishes in the bath, cooking food in the microwave, and repeating to myself: “It will all be finished soon… it will all be finished soon.”
Oh, and then there are the splashbacks…
My Kitchen Renovation: Magnet white gloss fitted kitchen
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
I mentioned previously that I purchased the paint for my new kitchen from a local charity project, CLIC (Changing Lives in Cheshire).
The Community RePaint scheme is a wonderful idea, I think. They buy old tins of paint from tradespeople and building contractors, check it over for quality, weigh it up, and sell it at greatly reduced prices back to the general public. I had seen the shelves of paint at the CLIC warehouse on previous visits, so I knew exactly where to go when we finally decided to do some decorating. I think the results speak for themselves.
My Home Renovation Kitchen Update
Community RePaint Did a Good Job!
I was amazed at the improvement in my kitchen after a simple fresh coat of white paint. Now that I have added the Bamboo Leaf green colour, it looks and feels totally different. I love it, and that’s before the new units go in! I also noticed an assortment of light anomalies all over my back in the photo of me painting. Could these be orbs manifested by our resident ghosts? Or are they simply dust particles, a result of the plastering job that my husband had done on the opposite wall? I can’t be sure.
SpookyMrsGreen the DIY Queen!My Home Renovation Kitchen Update
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
In the process of my kitchen renovation, we have uncovered something of the history of our house. It is very exciting!
I love social history, learning about local people and cultures, and the fascination with home decoration is a particular interest. Well, my kitchen did not disappoint. It did upset my husband, however.
My Kitchen Renovation: Bye Bye Old CookerMy Kitchen Renovation: A Good Old Botch Job
The History Behind My Kitchen Cupboards
He set about removing the old wall cupboards, and pulling out the battered cooker and hob. This was the section of the kitchen that we were nervous to uncover, because we had a horrible feeling it would involve some convoluted DIY project before we could install the new cupboards. Our suspicions were confirmed when my husband discovered that the tall cupboard which housed our cooker and microwave was fixed directly against bare brick, with the tattered remains of previous kitchens concealed on the plasterboard remnants.
While my husband stared at the wall in horror and then uttered a few choice words that I cannot repeat here, I got very excited as I studied the wallpaper. I counted at least 5 different styles and patterns, and they looked to date back possibly to the 1960s, maybe even before then. Our house was built in the late 1800s, and it does have a few resident ghosts, so I was not surprised to find this hidden gem behind our cooker.
For now that is all we discovered. My husband had to take a couple of days off work so that he could patch up the broken wall and make it suitable for our kitchen fitter to work with. That history in wallpaper has now been covered up with more plasterboard and adhesive, and who knows when it will be unearthed in the future, and which new family might discover it?
My Kitchen Renovation: Assessing the DamageMy Home Renovation: History in Wallpaper
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
This is a very exciting, very challenging, and very exhausting time for me. In just two days’ time I am expecting delivery of a brand new fitted kitchen that we purchased from Magnet.
I have waited for this kitchen for almost ten years. Yes, you heard me, ten years!
My Kitchen Renovation: My Old Kitchen at SpookyMrsGreen.com
My Kitchen Renovation Project
My husband and I moved into our very first home together, blissfully naïve about the amount of work involved in updating our Victorian terraced cottage. It is only a small house, the traditional two-up, two-down arrangement, although we have a large bathroom upstairs that used to be a third bedroom. Our kitchen is at the back of the house, and is very small and oddly shaped. It was very poorly designed by the previous owners, who convinced us that the cabinets were all newly refurbished when we came to view the property.
Being young and innocent, we did not bother to check the interior of the cupboards and drawers. We subsequently discovered that we had, essentially, half a kitchen. None of the base cupboards had shelves in them; they were merely boxes. The doors soon fell off and refused to stay put when repaired. The drawers were cheap plastic trays with false fronts, and the cooker had seen better days. Nevertheless, we persevered with it for several years, while we focused instead on other essential maintenance like a new roof and central heating system.
My Kitchen Renovation Project: Bye Bye Old Cupboards!
A dream becomes reality
Now, finally, my dream is being realised. We are having a brand new kitchen! I spent a lot of time deliberating about what to do. You see, the eco-warrior part of me suggested I buy some old, retro cupboards and repurpose them. It seemed a good idea for a while and I almost went ahead with it. Then I decided that actually, the best thing to do for our kitchen would be to utilise space for storage. That is what I need for a growing family of four. I need cupboards, shelves and drawers. And that is exactly what I am getting. Hooray!
We got the kitchen for a fabulous knock-down price in the January sales (with some help from my brother the plumber), and I found the perfect paint from Community RePaint, a national scheme where you can buy used tins of paint that are still in good condition. I bought 4 tins of paint for less than £10. They were not all full, but they were brand names, and I am incredibly pleased with them. Mine were purchased at CLIC in Winsford.
Keep checking back for updates on the progress. At present I have finished painting the walls and ceiling. At the weekend we will remove the final part of the kitchen. For now, most of my kitchen is packed away in boxes and scattered around the dining room. It’s been a mad couple of weeks!
My Home Renovation Kitchen Update Paint from Community Repaint
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
SpookyMrsGreen 