Sunday 31 July 2011

Summer Giveaway Hop!


I've decided to join the Summer Giveaway Hop, hosted by Kathy of I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Mary from Bookhounds. There are over 300 blogs participating in this hop, so after you're done with mine be sure to check out the others by following the links below!

There will be 3 prizes, but you'll only have to enter once to be signed up for all of them!

Prize #1 is a $25 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or Book Depository.
Prize #2 is a $10 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or Book Depository.
Prize #3 is a book of your choice, along with a swag pack full of random swag that I have lying around the house.

My contests are international and entering for these prizes is simple. All you have to do is leave a comment with your name and valid e-mail address. Following is appreciated, but not mandatory for this hop. Be sure to have entered by midnight on August 7th. I will randomly select 3 winners the day after and notify them via e-mail.

Good luck, guys!




Jane Lovering - Star Struck Blog Tour

Today I am honoured and delighted that Jane Lovering joins me again.  This time on the next leg of her Star Struck blog tour.  


Where Jane's Blog Tour is taking her.......


18th Jul  
NutPress        



25th  Jul LoveRomancePassion
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/


1st Aug Dizzycslittlebookblog







8th Aug
Catherine Miller
http://blog.katylittlelady.com/



11th Aug
Novelicious
http://www.novelicious.com/

15th Aug
Debsdaydreams


http://debcarrs-daydreams.blogspot.com/


22nd Aug
Lucie Wheeler
http://luciewheeler.blogspot.com/



29th Aug
Choc-lit Publishing
http://blog.choc-lit.co.uk/



There is a competition to win one of three copies of Starstruck from Choc-lit Publishing.  You will need to visit all the above blog stops to enter.  (UK addresses only)



The competition will consist of  Capitalised Words included in each blog post for you  to collect and then at the end there will be a question to answer from the words collected.  There will be blog posts each week on the tour from 18th July to 29th August.

Entries will need to post their answers to info@choc-lit.co.uk





Ah, hello.  Do come in and pull up a doughnut.  It’s all right, you can dunk, no-one will judge you...
Right.  I’ve popped by today to chat about my new novel STARSTRUCK, published by Choc Lit, which will be available for you all to purchase at a very reasonable price from all good bookstores from 01 September.  Starstruck is set at a Sci Fi convention in Nevada, which is my excuse for name dropping Buffy, Doctor Who and for managing to work an inflatable Dalek into the narrative; because, not to put too fine a point on it, I am a geek.  For anyone wishing to discuss the finer points of the possibilities of the Time War, or the disappearances of the Babylon platforms (up to, and including Five), then I am your woman.  Aliens, spaceships, Brian Blessed, you name it, I know about it.
However, fear not all you non-geeks,   Starstruck is not a Sci Fi story.  The background show ‘Fallen Skies’ is about intergalactic war, but Starstruck is mostly about gorgeous men running around in ripped shirts, shy writers, and memories.  The whole story revolves around memories lost, memories held on to and memories that won’t leave – honestly, not a single spaceship in there at all.  Well, maybe one.  And an inflatable Dalek. 
Look, here’s the blurb.


Our memories define us – don’t they?

And Skye Threppel lost most of hers in a car crash that stole the lives of her best friend and fiancĂ©. It’s left scars, inside and out, which have destroyed her career and her confidence.

Skye hopes a trip to the wide dusty landscapes of Nevada – and a TV convention offering the chance to meet the actor she idolises – will help her heal. But she bumps into mysterious sci-fi writer Jack Whitaker first. He’s a handsome contradiction – cool and intense, with a wild past.

Jack has enough problems already. He isn’t looking for a woman with self-esteem issues and a crush on one of his leading actors.  Yet he’s drawn to Skye.

An instant rapport soon becomes intense attraction, but Jack fears they can’t have a future if Skye ever finds out about his past ...

Will their memories tear them apart, or can they build new ones together?




There, you see.  Hardly any Sci Fi at all.  Honestly.  And just the one Dalek.  Oh, come on, you’ve got to allow me my little peculiarities, haven’t you?
And if you’re following the competition to win one of three copies of Starstruck – well, you know what to do...  and if you don’t, check out my blog at www.janelovering.co.uk for details.  Blog guaranteed Sci Fi free... although it might contain traces of nuts.


Jane Lovering is an extraordinarily talented, beautiful, intelligent liar.  She lives in North Yorkshire with a houseful of beings, most of which were born on this planet, has a worrying penchant for Tony Robinson and is patiently coaxed into writing Romantic Comedy novels for Choc Lit by a man with a lot of chocolate on the end of a very long stick.





STARSTRUCK - DUE 01 SEPTEMBER 2011 from Choc Lit Publishing
PLEASE DON'T STOP THE MUSIC - OUT NOW from Choc Lit Publishing.

It's Monday.......

It's Monday, What are You Reading?


Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey

This weekend

Had a busy few days with son going to cadet camp and a family wedding. I will blog about this sometime this week. 

I finished Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - A Goodreads First Read  - Review to follow.


In my Postbox

StarStruck by Jane Lovering Thank you to the lovely folks at ChocLit. 

 I am delighted that Jane Lovering stops here today on her blog tour


*Last minute update. ....The post has just arrived and a copy of Wrapped in You by Carole Matthews arrived, beautifully wrapped in a red bow.  Thank you  Little,Brown Publishers
Wrapped in You By Carol Matthews


What I am reading now

To Be Queen by Christy English 

The Very Thought of You - Rosie Alison bumped this up my TBR list as I see it is soon to be released in the USA

Up next.....

Starstruck by Jane Lovering

Jane Lovering is Guest Author today  and

Gillian Bagwell - Author of The Darling Strumpet is Guest Author on 5th August with a UK giveaway.



What does your reading week look like?

Emergency shopping and photo

You may have seen my post late Thursday night about my dizzy day and the last minute panic I was having.   Son had reminded me that he was at Cadet camp in 3 days time on Wednesday evening and we had a mad dash to buy kit for camp.

Then I was not happy with my dress for a family wedding with 2 days to go.  I was seeing family for the first time in years.
I was convinced on Friday morning that I was justified in not being happy with the backup dress, which became my only dress, after seeing this article by Southern & Girly Diva about Audrey Hepburn.  *



Audrey Hepburn was one of my favourite film stars and as a child I watched the Saturday matinees which were always black and whites featuring the wonderful stars like Audrey, Bette Davies, Kathrine Hepburn etc.

Audrey stood out for me. She always dressed immaculately.  This inspired me to always dress to please myself and how I feel comfortable.
I am known for a lot of black which I feel is classic.
I am known for wearing what I feel confident in, not what the occasion calls for.
For example, I will dress 'to the nines' in skirt and heels when others are in casual, or dress less formal when others are 'dressed to the nines'.  My confidence comes from how I look. Of course, I will not turn up to a wedding in trainers or the wear heels to the playground, LOL.

Some days I do the school run in jeans or cargo trousers, but other days I will be in smart trousers and top.

So, Friday morning I dashed off to find another dress for the wedding.  I found one!  It had the same colours as the back up dress so, luckily, I did not need to buy new accessories.  It was meant to be!  It did mean buying flat shoes because I had heels to go with the knee length backup dress.  I could not wear these with a maxi dress.  My first maxi dress. Have been wanting one since they came back into fashion.

Here is the result of my emergency shopping.



This is my daughter with me.  Excuse my expression.  I was saying something to my son at the time. :)

I may have a better photo in the week.

DizzyC







*   http://southerngirlydiva.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-darling-audrey-hepburn.html#comment-form

Saturday 30 July 2011

Slacking, much?

This isn't book-related at all, but it is related to this blog. This is a little about what's happening in my personal life that I thought you should know about because I am having to slack a bit from the computers - not so much now, but next week when my therapy starts.

About a week ago, I started feeling a little numbness in my pinky and ring finger on my left arm. At first, I thought it was nothing more than just a side effect to one of my medications. But it just stayed around, never leaving. By mid-week this week, I started getting a little worried. My doctor wasn't returning my phone calls for whatever reason so I decided to transfer to my husband's doctor. After about an hour, I was told that I have Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome.

A lot of people (including myself) don't really know what it is. It's pretty similar to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but Carpal Tunnel affects the nerve in your wrist as well as your thumb, forefinger and middle fingers. Ulnar affects the nerve at the elbow and the two other fingers (ring and pinky). The good thing is that it's a mild case. I have full function of my fingers and arm, I just have a sort of numb feeling that stays constant - which is more aggravating than anything else. There are two treatments. The first is nerve conduction studies, which is almost like a little physical therapy for my nerve to see if that will work it out and take the pressure off of it. If that doesn't work, then I'll have to have surgery. I'm hoping for the study to work.

Anyway, I just thought I would let you know ahead of time so you all don't think I'm ignoring you or have just disappeared. Normally I would schedule a lot of posts ahead of time, but my husband and I just had one of our friends to move in with us for an uncertain amount of time, so I don't know how much I'll be able to do this weekend on here.

I'll keep you guys updated!

New This Week!

New This Week! is a weekly feature in which I showcase some of the titles released in the Young Adult world throughout week. Each picture is linked to its respective Goodreads page, so if a cover appeals to you be sure to click on it to learn more about the book.

Week of: July 24th - July 30th, 2011



Giveaway Reminders

This is just a quick note to remind you guys that I have two giveaways going on right now that end tonight at midnight EST. There's still time to enter, so why not?


First up is a copy of Cat Patrick's debut, Forgotten. You can read my review for it here, or just simply go to the post here to learn more and enter the giveaway!


Next is the first two books in Lisa Desrochers' Personal Demons series, Personal Demons and Original Sin. You can read my review for Personal Demons here, and my review for Original Sin here. The details and giveaway is included in the same post as the review for Original Sin.

So, there you have it! Two giveaways and a total of three books that you could possibly win. Good luck!

Thursday 28 July 2011

Cutting it fine!

Hi folks,
Just wanted to share my day with you. It was supposed to be straight forward, little one to play school, housework, emails and blog.


Nothing eventful there but what I wanted. Everyone else had other ideas!


Dear son told me last night, 3 days b4 the first family wedding for fifteen years, that he has cadet camp this weekend! So, not only will he not be at the wedding, but he needed some kit. Kit that cannot be bought where we live. Some of the items were to replace items left behind on the last camp trip.


This morning was  a few phones calls to find Army surplus stores and a trip out of town to get supplies, and damage the bank account.  

Drama over until I asked dear partner why he didn't say much when I showed him my outfit 
for the wedding on Saturday. He said he thought it was too short. I was n't sure about it and it was my back up dress, which became my only dress. Could not find anything I liked after several out of town shopping trips.


 Tomorrow I am off out of town again to look again. :( 


Wish me luck! :)


DizzyC


via my mobile phone (and edited this morn)

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Waiting on Wednesday



November 1, 2011


The marvelous land of Oz is knotted with social unrest: The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who’s knocking at the door. It’s none other than Dorothy. Yes, that Dorothy.

Amid all this chaos, Elphaba’s granddaughter, the tiny green baby born at the close of Son of a Witch, has come of age. Now, Rain will take up her broom in an Oz wracked by war.

The stirring, long-awaited conclusion to the extraordinary bestselling series begun with Wicked, Out of Oz is a magical journey rife with revelations and reversals, reprisals and surprises — the hallmarks of the brilliant and unique imagination of Gregory Maguire.

This isn't exactly young adult... at all, but it's a series that I have been absolutely obsessed with ever since the first book, Wicked, came out in 2000 (though I think it actually came out in '95?). I've been waiting to see if a new book would be coming out and actually got behind because of all my reads, so I was pleasantly surprised when my husband told me he thought he heard about another "wicked witch" book coming out. ;)

What are you waiting on??

Monday 25 July 2011

Winners!




It is time to announce the winners of my Blog birthday giveaway.

Congratulations to........


and


Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.   

Look out for future giveaways.

DizzyC

Teaser Tuesday



He stepped into the house and, in the split second when he stood next to me and didn't look at me, I started feeling panicky. It was disconcerting how accustomed I was to seeing him in my house, and at the same time how completely out of place he seemed. It was like seeing the president in his old elementary school classroom.

Except that I was the reason Liam hadn't been back.

The reason he didn't want to come back.
- pg. 67, Here Lies Bridget

Before & After: Jo Treggiari

I was born in London, England but grew up in Canada, Roccasinibalda, Italy and California.

I used to work in the music industry and eventually owned my own indie record label. The first CD we ever put out was by a gangsta rap group. We also did alt rock and punk.

I have trained as a boxer. I could have been a contender. (Not really).


Learn when her writing career began and more at www.jotreggiari.com.

I've had quite a range of confusing emotions these last few weeks before publication date. I've veered between ecstatic anticipation to crushing anxiety that no one will notice when it finally comes out. I have to admit to what is probably an unhealthy amount of narci-googling as well, as various print and book blog reviews start showing up. And then of course, there is the manic checking of the Amazon rating and the Goodreads stars. I hope that being aware that I have a problem is half the battle. Right?!

Seriously I am trying to keep everything in perspective and turn most of my attention to the book I am currently trying to finish. As my husband so wisely says, "Ashes, Ashes has already left for college. Concentrate on the new baby."

The other overwhelming emotions have been immense gratitude, and a feeling that someone has smacked me on the head with a shovel. I think until I see the book on a shelf in a store, I won't quite believe it's all really true.


My feelings after publication? Euphoria, happiness, gratitude, an enveloping warmth and support from other writers. Yes, all those things, but there is also a gnawing anxiety.

So much work is involved writing a book, editing it and then producing it. There are expectations and hopes that build no matter how you might try to keep them grounded and then pub day arrives and the world does not stop spinning. Other books are released the same day, people are excited for a week or two and then it dies down again. You're left thinking that's it? But that is not it.

Pub day carries so much weight for an author. You feel validated, you feel cool, you feel special, but then it's over. I've realized it's not really about YOU. It's about the book which is now out in the world and existing separately.

In a way this manuscript, this idea I've nurtured for the last two or three years isn't even mine anymore. It belongs to anyone who reads it. I can do interviews and giveaways and promotions which I am so happy to do but basically it's all down to the book, and that's been a little hard to accept.

The best thing I've found is to go work on something else, or get out and promote directly to your readers, either through book blogs or appearances. Just connecting with other people who love books as much as I do, helps me out of my little bubble and reminds me that there's a lot going on, and that the book can look after itself.




Ashes, Ashes Review

Ashes, Ashes
Jo Treggiari

Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date:
June 1, 2011
Genre:
YA, Dystopian
Pages:
Hardcover, 343 pages
Source:
Purchase
Rating:
4/5 (Avg 3.5/5)
A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
I'd have to say that I thought this one would start out a little lackluster. The main character is alone, so there's a severe lack of dialogue and social interaction. However, there is a vivid description of the world - so vivid that it could give me nightmares. I'm kind of a girl when it comes to being alone, and the insight of this world creeped me out a little... in a good way, though.

Soon enough though, it accelerates when Lucy meets up with Aidan and his crew. Not only do we get to know him and the other survivors better, but we get a better sense of who Lucy is as well. She's a strong, determined character with many likeable traits including her fierce loyalty and her ability to stay a little mysterious, not completely transparent once a boy comes into the picture. Aidan is pretty sweet, as well as a tough survivor. Their relationship was a nice, steady one though I always kept my eyes out for Henry - who was a witty little character.

There were a few unanswered questions that I never got out of the story, as well as some parts I could have done without. This was kind of a shaky 4 for me, but it was better than a 3... so maybe I should say 3.5? Whichever the case, it's a pretty decent read that I think a nice majority of YA readers would like.




Wildefire Review

Wildefire (Wildefire #1)
Karsten Knight

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date:
July 26, 2011
Genre:
YA, Mythology
Pages:
Hardcover, 400 pages
Source:
S&S Galley Grab
Rating:
5/5 (Avg 3.5/5)
Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.




I have read some pretty awesome books this year. Some supernatural, some with mythology and some with nothing but a great Contemporary plot. No matter what the read was, never was my first thought, "This has to be the greatest book I've read all year" and was followed quickly by, "I think I want to kick the author." That is... until Wildefire.

Ashline Wilde is pretty much the most kick ass female heroine that I have seen in YA fiction so far. She's fierce and doesn't really show weakness, even if she is feeling weak. It's not pretentious, it just makes her a strong character. Colt, the park ranger, fascinates us from the very first time we glimpse him in the story. The other characters that show up are also as equally fascinating, each with their own unique personality. I have to say that for me, the secondary characters stood out almost as much as the main character. You get to know some of their background and get a look into their life and what makes them who they are. And, let me tell you, this book is not lacking in the strong characters department. These characters are willing to take on anything, even witty dialogue and playful banter. I absolutely loved the interaction with all of them.

The thing that stands out about this novel for me is the fact that so many mythologies are thrown into the mix - not just one specific type of mythology. And they blend together extremely well. The first chapter starts out with a bang and the book ends with a bang - and that last bang really caught me off-guard. I don't know what I was expecting from the end of the book. A cliffhanger, yes, but not a revelation that had me absolutely thrown back from shock. AND THEN IT JUST ENDS! So now, I have to wait to find out what happens now that this new thing is thrown into the mix. I don't like waiting... especially when the story is so amazing - and this one definitely is.

The writing is amazingly well-written. Karsten is an amazing storyteller that knows how to keep you fully emerged in a novel from the beginning to the very bitter end.

Sunday 24 July 2011

It's Monday, What are You Reading?


Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey

This weekend

I finished and reviewed Miss Hildreth Wore Brown by Oliva DeBelle Byrd   Review

and a children's travel journal  Explore, Dream, Discover by Charlotte Samiec        Review

and Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer Review


In my Postbox

Nothing from the postman this week but I did treat myself to

The Birthday Party by Veronica Henry     and

The Man of my Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld


What I am reading now

Almost finished Will you still love me tomorrow by Claudia Carroll

The Very Thought of You - Rosie Alison bumped this up my TBR list as I see it is soon to be released in the USA

Up next.....

To be Queen  - Christy English

What does your reading week look like?












In My Mailbox


Hosted By: The Story Siren
Inspired By: Pop Culture Junkie


For Review



Purchases


So, this is the part where I have a fan girl squeal inserted because I really didn't think that I would actually get Bloodlines because (1) I never requested it, and (2) I thought by now ARCs would be out because it was so popular. But, I'm sooo happy they sent me one!

I'm actually almost completely through with all of my Kindle purchases (all of my purchases this week), so you should see some reviews for them coming up in the near future.

Review - Miss Hildreth Wore Brown - Olivia DeBelle Byrd



Miss Hildreth Wore Brown - Olivia DeBelle Byrd


I won a copy of this book on Cmash Loves to read blog and was so excited as it was on my wishlist. 

I enjoy Southern fiction so when I saw this book written by a Southern lady full of antedotes of Southern life I was very interested to read it. 

This book had me laughing out loud and gave me more insight into the lives of Southern women. The author has such character and this shines through in the book. I especially loved the Robert Redford chapter. 

My only disppointment was that I expected it to read more like a novel rather than short individual chapters and I would have liked the book to have been longer. 

I have given 3 out 5 stars but I would say this is more a 3.5 out of 5 for me

Saturday 23 July 2011

Britmums Guest Blog Swap


This weekend I am taking part in the Britmums  guest blog post Matchup feature where mum bloggers are paired up to write a guest post for each other.  

Today it is my pleasure to introduce Frances from  Mother Venting

Frances is  a SAHM and wannabe writer of a baby girl, she'll be 9 months in August, living in the UK. 


On the subject of blogging, Frances says.....
Blogging kind of saved my sanity because while husband was away I needed an outlet for my frustration and blogging provided that! I'm also a wannabe writer so it helps keep my brain ticking over too...


I asked Frances the following questions...

How has your life changed since becoming a mummy?


Uh, utterly and completely! I almost can't recall what my life was like before I had Moo. There are some things I miss – like bathing, uninterrupted reading and sleeping for longer than 3 hours – but I wouldn't change being a mum for all the tea in China.

Are you a routine mummy or do you fly by the seat of your pants?

Mahahahaha oh I totally fly by the seat of my pants. Definitely one of those mums that make it up as I go along – and anyone reading my blog would agree! Well, I try to impose some sort of structure into Moo's life, but she generally rebels against it, the little monster. I really admire those uber-mummies who seem to have it all sorted. I don't know how they do it. In fact, I suspect they might all be lying, and are just as hopeless as the rest of us...

Most embarrassing mummy moment?

Sigh, so many. Um, I guess I could tell you about the time I was walking down the road, chatting to Moo in a casual fashion about the weather, when a workman commented on how wrapped up and cosy Moo looked in her pram. 'Well, yes,' I replied cheerfully, 'it's a bit windy-woo today!' - completely forgetting that the workman is a GROWN-UP and not a BABY. He gave me a very strange look. I slunk off with a red face. At least Moo thought it was funny.

Favourite beauty budget buys?

My beauty 'regime' has deteriorated somewhat since becoming a mother, so I would suggest any new parent has the following in their arsenal: baby wipes, thick moisturiser, baby wipes, dry shampoo, baby wipes, tweezers, and baby wipes. Seriously, I'm not ashamed to admit it, there have been days when I've needed to take a baby wipe shower. Call me a skank if you like but at least I ATTEMPTED to clean myself up. And baby wipes can be totally cheap as well. Beauty budget buy win!

Favourite way to dress, smart, casual, or depends on what you are doing?

Mahahahahahaha smart? SMART? I've forgotten what that's like. OK I guess I would say I like to aim for stylish nonchalance, but I suspect I actually resemble a jumble sale mishap with unkempt hair and smudged glasses. Yeah, casual, definitely casual.

Favourite way to spend your 'me' time?

Reading. Reading, reading, reading. Though I'm so busy nowadays – and since starting my blog back in March, even busier – that I rarely get time to read any more. Which is such a shame, as I used to be a book-a-week kinda gal. Ah well, I figure I'll have more time when Moo leaves home in about, ooh, eighteen years? Something to look forward to, eh?

Are you a SAHM, WAHM or working mummy?

You know, I didn't even know what these acronyms meant until I started blogging. I'm a SAHM, though if I could find the perfect job that meant I could be a WAHM then I would do it. I miss having my own salary.

My main hobby is reading,  do you read, and if so what are you reading at the moment?

I do read (see above), I love reading. I've just finished Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson, an American author I started following some years ago when she published her first book, Gods in Alabama, which I thought was awesome. It's like an American southern Gothic story, with feisty female characters and twisty-turny plotlines. I would recommend her books to anyone, and should you send an email her way she always replies – the sign of a generous and lovely author, in my opinion! Don't know what I'm going to read next, maybe something Carol can recommend...?

Favourite genres to read?

Anything. Really, anything. Have a soft spot for epic family dramas, vampire stories, and the kind of clever literary fiction that makes your toes curl, it's so brilliant. But really – anything.

Any hidden talents or strange facts about yourself you would like to share?

Mahahhahaha ummmm, now what do I reveal? I can sword fight, which I had to learn for a role in a play. Though I haven't done it for a while, I might be a bit dangerous now. Is that strange/hidden enough? Oh, I have a kind of photographic memory, which is useful when learning lines for plays, though I wish I'd used it more when revising for exams. I might have passed a few more then. Oops.

Great to meet you Frances, and thanks for guest blogging. 
Please pop over to visit Frances at her website.

DizzyC