Feeling lost...

I had the most wonderful weekend... I went to Cambridge and spent time with my Aunty and someone else very special to me :o)

We walked by the river, ate lunch by an open fire, watched Stardust (omg how amazingly romantic was that film *sighs* and Captain Shakespeare - classic!!) bought the most glorious dress for a wedding I'm going to (I've never spent so much on a dress but it was well worth it, especially for the service I got in the little boutique) and spent a lot of time hugging and being hugged... I'm sure you can understand why I now feel totally lost, back in Lincoln and with so little work to take my mind off things.

I could be working on my writing, I could be making books to sell in time for Christmas, I could be making gifts ready for Christmas, I could be making gifts ready for the people I'm going to meet for the first time in the next few weeks... but I'm not - I just cannot seem to focus on anything *sigh*

I'm off to try and get myself going... I can't spend the next two weeks like this lol.

Don't forget tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway

November Giveaway

As promised here is the second part of my 3 month giveaway. I had planned on saving this one for December's prize but as my life has suddenly become very busy I have not had chance to complete what I was going to offer as November's prize in time to take a photo of it and post it... so I shall have to have a rethink...

So this month I am giving you the opportunity to win a custom written poem or short story, hand decorated and posted to you. To be in with a chance to win all you have to do is leave a comment and if you are the lucky winner I'll contact you to find out what you would like - it truly is your choice on whether you have a poem or a story, whether it's for you, a friend, or even your business, whether it rhymes, is funny, is sentimental... I could go on and on but I won't hehe

Please feel free to pass on details of this giveaway to as many friends as you wish - the more the merrier :o)

And if you want to look at some samples of my work then please visit love of the word... (and please be aware this is a very small sample at present whilst I get the new blog up and running)

Good Luck

New site

I decided not to plunge straight into the paid webhosting services and went back to Typepad, remembering fondly my days there earlier this year. My personal blog is staying with blogger... I do not want to move it yet again... but I have started my writing on back over there as it gives me far more scope to expand in future if my writing continues to grow as it is doing so far.

If you'd like to go visit (but bear in mind it is still in the beginning stages and I have not yet decided if I am happy with the look - I'm seeing if it grows on me or not) the please click here.

I've had to make some tough decisions regarding my writing... I have recently begun writing stories which are very deep and contain very mature subjects and although I am very proud with the results and the feedback I've been getting has been brilliant, I do feel that posting them on the same site as my children's stories might not be the most effective marketing tactic. I am upset, however, that this does not allow me to showcase my range - I am able to write far more than nice poetry and children's tales. It has been a hard decision to make, but I just do not feel it would be my best option to post them all on one site (even though that was my first desire when thinking of setting up a website). The last thing I want to do is offend somebody or put people off...

In other news, I shall be posting the next giveaway over the next few days - I'd do it today but I really need to charge my batteries so I can take a picture of the prize. So please do visit soon. Ad let me know what you think to the new blog and my choice to keep certain pieces of my work away from it. Am I, in your professional opinions, doing the right thing or am I selling myself short and not trusting my readers to make their own choices? It really is a difficult one to judge!

Have a wonderful weekend everybody
Amanda xx

A question about websites

I would like to set up a website now that I have some income and can afford to do so without resorting to the free ones where half the page is covered in adverts I dislike. My question is for those of you who have a website you pay for - who hosts it, how did you design it, and would you suggest anything to help me in choosing how to go about doing this myself?

I want a website where I can post a variety of written work in various categories: childrens'; poetry; spiritual; adult themes/issues and perhaps a section on writing tips along with an area where I will later hope to display what I wish to sell if I ever get over my fears and get my business venture running. So any ideas would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Got to go - am off to a Criminology lecture now!

A paid education

I thought it was about time I told you all about my new job.

I work for an agency who supply support workers to university students who have been assessed to require assistance in certain areas of their studies. My current work includes 7 hours per week taking notes in lectures for students with hearing impairments and 7 hours per week typing up said notes plus up to 30 hours per week (but rarely exceeding 16) as a PA to a student in a wheelchair who needs help getting round campus.

I love my job because I love helping people and I get to meet so many new faces. But more than that, I get to learn all sorts of new things. These past few weeks I've been to illustration lectures on Pop Art, Criminology lectures discussing postmodernism and computing lectures including information on decision making and debates on ethics and morality. And instead of paying for my education and being stressed about proving my ability in the subject I am being paid to turn up, listen and simply repeat what is said - you can't get much better than that now can you?

And the winner is...

Angel Jem!

I'll be getting the cards sent off to you as soon as I receive your postal address. Check back later in the month for the next giveaway - it'll be a good one!