Fiona-Jane Brown, Aberdeen and a question of Hats

shehanne moore

FIona.  Hello, dear hamster dudes! Yes, I am indeed, I’ve been running tours for 6 years now! But no, I’ve not ever thought of doing a hidden hamster tour.

Well, sadly, so far I’ve not found any record of hamsters doing anything significant in Aberdeen!

But, I’m sure they did! Just because things are not written down, doesn’t mean to say they didn’t happen! There were loads of secret tunnels and cellars they could have hidden in and witnessed some local dramas over the centuries – although they’d have to be careful of cats!

BUT, sadly hamsters did not arrive in Britain until 1939! You’ll love this though – the name hamster comes from a Persian (Iranian) word meaning “oppressor”!

It all started because I lost my dream job in Portsmouth as Conan Doyle Projects Officer! The funding was never renewed, so I just had to come back home. I…

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Addressing Self Harm in Fiction Writing (Guest Post)

When Women Inspire

Please join me in welcoming author Marjorie Mallon as a guest author on the blog today! Her debut book The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone addresses the issue of self harm and is the subject of this important post. Let’s give Marjorie the floor.

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Today I’d like to discuss one particular character in my novel: The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone. Her name is Esme and she self-harms. I sometimes wonder why I created such a disturbing, vulnerable character. I believe Esme came into my consciousness almost without my realising. She grew out of a nugget of an idea I had about a girl being trapped, in a time she didn’t feel comfortable with.

At the time I’d heard disturbing true life stories through my circle of family and friends about young people who self-harmed and naturally this saddened and shocked me. Young people from all walks…

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Dan Alatorre’s Word Weaver Writing Contest: 5th PLACE winners, “One Last Goodbye” by Juliet Nubel

Fifth place winner of Dan Alatore’s Word Weaver Competition. A beautiful haunting story by Juliet Nubel.

Dan Alatorre - AUTHOR

Dan Alatorre’s Word Weaver Writing Contest

* 5th Place Winner *

One Last Goodbye

by Juliet Nubel

Another one that looked sad by the title – and it was. I’m not telling you anything I shouldn’t; the first lines tell you it’s sad. But it’s a very good story I think shows the talent we have here with our readers and contest entries.

Read it and see if you agree.

Juliet will receive a $10 gift card for placing 5th in our contest.

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DON’T FORGET: ALL contestants not winning first, second, or third place will be put into a drawing for other prizes!

HERE are some of the AMAZING AUTHORS whose books will awarded:

Allison Maruska, Project Renovatio. Author of the runaway bestseller The Fourth Descendant, Allison Maruska offers an audio book version of her latest hit, Project Renovatio.

With over 550 reviews on Amazon, The Fourth…

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forget me not

Beautiful

Paul Militaru

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Hide & Seek – Part Thirteen

This is one serial you have to read. Catch up on https://portergirl.com

Secret Diary Of PorterGirl

Despite the bounteous breakfast consumed not an hour or so since, Captain Hastings felt the beginnings of a small rumble in his stomach. It was another fine day in the Norfolk coastal town of Tunkle-on-Wyme and a salty breeze chased about the streets, gently ruffling his immaculate golden thatch. The sea air is said to be good for the appetite and Hastings was content to attribute to this his unseemly greed. It had been quite an eventful morning thus far, with the discovery of another body; poor Maggie the maid now joining the ill-fated Clara in the list of victims of a unknown rapscallion. Whilst Clara was clearly bludgeoned in the most despicable manner, Hastings and Japp had immediately taken Maggie’s hanging to be suicide. But the great Hercule Poirot had other ideas.

As he continued along steep, narrow streets made all the more treacherous by flint and cobble underfoot…

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It’s A Girl!

An amazing journey detailed by Eliza Waters.

Eliza Waters

The first of the monarchs (Danaus plexippus) I have been fostering on my kitchen counter this past month hatched today and it’s a female. Like any proud parent, I think she is perfect and beautiful! I feel hopeful for her future, but it will be a long road for her, fraught with obstacles. After fattening up on coneflower, Joe Pye weed, zinnias and other favorite flower nectars, she sails 2,500 miles to the Michoacan Mountains in Mexico.

Overcoming human activity such as speeding autos, loss of nectar feeding habitats, as well as excessive cold, drought and predation will be daunting. If she reaches her winter roost site in the few remaining acres of oyamel pine trees (which are cut for their valuable timber by the local people), she must safely survive possible severe cold or snowstorms, predatory birds and mice that take advantage of the bounty of millions of clustered…

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Smorgasbord Weekly Round Up – The Good Life #Waterford History and amazing guest writers

Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life

Welcome to the round up and some posts that you might have missed. Especially if you have taken my advice and have not signed up for notifications. You would be so stressed!  I know that I blog a great deal but by now you are used to that by now.. Popping in on a Sunday is probably your best bet so that you can select the posts that you are interested in.

Next weekend there is going to a change to the programme as it will be a three day party on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Unfortunately I may have tipped our summer into its own pity party when I announced this last week, as it has been blowing a hooligan and pouring with rain ever since!  However, we will not let a little moisture get in our way.

My intention is to mention as many of those people who…

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