IVORY TOWER; Lord of the Rings Goblet Collection

Last week I went to see The Hobbit at the cinema.  It was so lovely to be back in that world and to be in Rivendell once more as the Elves are my favorite characters from Middle Earth. I wish the film had lingered in Rivendell a lot longer - I would have been happy to stay for a while and put off the Adventure!

Ever since my picture appeared in Spirit&Destiny magazine I have received countless emails asking me about the chalice I am holding in the photo.  It wasn't prop; everything in that photo belongs to me, even the book style coffee table and candles. 

The chalice I am holding in the photo is Galadriel, one of the Lord of the Rings Goblet Collection.  Unfortunately these are no longer being produced so I feel really fortunate that I was able to begin my collection many years ago.  There are one or two I wish I had managed to purchase before they were discontinued, but I do have all the Elves that were produced so I am really pleased about that, as they are now quite expensive to buy and very difficult to find.

I have nine Goblets altogether, but I accidentally left one out (the Elvin Goblet) when I took these pictures. 

Here is my collection;

My Goblet Collection from left;  Celeborn, Galadriel, Gandalf and Treebeard.

Again from left;  City of Tirion, Glorfindel, Arwen and Legolas.

I love them all and I do feel very lucky to have them. My favorite ones from the collection are Galadriel, Arwen and Legolas...and yes, I do use them.  They add a touch of Elvin enchantment to my home and  remind me of the gentle harmony of Rivendell.

I wish I lived in Rivendell .

BOOK NOOK; Time's Echo by Pamela Hartshorne

I was first alerted to Time's Echo by Pamela Hartshorne when the author followed me on Twitter.  Time's Echo is a time loop novel, set in the City of York, Yorkshire, (the Yorkshire county being made up of the Three Ridings and the City of York). As I am a Yorkshire lass myself, from the West Riding, I thought it would be an interesting read.  I wasn't at all disappointed.

It is a hard book to review simply because I don't want to give anything away and spoil the reading experience.  Like most time loop novels, there are two main protagonists, one in the present and one from the past.  In Time's Echo the modern character is Grace Trewe, a commitment phobic young women with a love of travel.  She is also a survivor of the Boxing Day tsunami and she struggles with PTSD and survivor's remorse.

When Grace inherits a house in York from her god-mother it seems like an inconvenient hassle to do it up and sell it on prior to resuming her travels, but almost as soon as she walks in the front door she feels drawn to the past and to the ghostly voice of Hawise, a young woman who was drowned as a witch in York in the Elizabethan period.  As the story unfolds the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead becomes thinner, culminating in a dramatic race against time on Halloween.

Time's Echo is a tale of witches, past and present and as a Wiccan author myself I love to read witchy tales; that this one is based in York was an added bonus.  In the story there is a coven of modern witches who Grace turns to for help and as the leader Vivien casts a protective circle and calls the guardians, she begins in the west.  This seemed a little strange to me, as it is usually more traditional in witchcraft to begin in the east, or sometimes the north; but as both Hawise and Grace have been harmed by water in the past, it does make sense to protect Grace from the west, the direction of water, though the author doesn't actually say that this is the reason for beginning in the west - that is simply my own interpretation.  It could also be that different covens have different ways of doing things - there is no right and wrong way to cast a circle after all, but it was something which stood out for me as being different to my own way of working magically and for that reason I found it interesting and I wanted to know more.

One of my favorite scenes is the decorating scene, which really made me giggle and is one that most women can probably relate to - a male friend turning up with Polly-filler and masking tape, when all Grace wants to do it slap a coat of paint on the walls!  My favorite line from the  novel comes at the end of chapter six, when the Widow Dent sees off a predator with her stick and the words "She said no!". Enough said.
I also have a reader-crush on the modern love interest Drew, aka Mr Polly-Filler! He is so solid, steady and straight-laced in a charming, reliable way.

Time's Echo is a bewitching tale of love and treachery... a pretty girl who stands out from the crowd; a lecherous predator who carries a grudge; a jealous sister who seethes in resentment and a great injustice that ripples across time.  If you like witchy, supernatural novels of ghostly theme Time's Echo is one you will enjoy reading, especially on a cold night such as tonight as the snow falls.
Follow Pamela Hartshorne on Twitter @pamhartshorne or read her blog at http://www.pamelahartshorne.com  

ONCE UPON A TIME; Snow Castle

I wish I lived here! This castle looks so dark and brooding amid the crystal white snowscape; it has just enough Gothic mystery about it to intrigue me and draw me in. The current snowy weather has made me dream of how it would have been centuries ago, living in a big castle without all the modern comforts we tend to take for granted.  If this were my castle I would make sure there were roaring log fires in all the rooms, not just the great hall.  I would order that the logs be sprinkled with pine cones to fill the castle with the scent of winter.  Four poster beds would be hung with velvet drapes; tapestries would warm the thick stone walls and prettily carved wooden shutters would keep the drifting snow at bay.

In my castle dream, I would ride a magnificent chestnut steed through the snowy forest, a silver hunting horn hanging at my hip as my friends and I try to find an enchanted white hart that has been recently sighted in the area. Slipping and sliding through the woods we go, a hunting party looking for magic, seeking enchantment on a winters day. But such a magical beast is elusive and we return to the warmth of the castle as the snow begins to fall once more. We turn the horses into stables with deep beds of clean straw and buckets of oats and bran, before heading into the great hall for a feast of good food, spiced wine and music from my very own troubadour.  A huge log crackles in the hearth, candles flicker casting shadows around the hall and my feet are toasty in fur slippers.  My troubadour sings of love and adventure, of white harts and broken hearts.  The sound of his lute fills the hall with melody and  I dream by the fireside...

IVORY TOWER; My Study In Pictures

On cold snowy days like today I tend to hibernate in my cosy crimson study.  It is a very small room, but I have made the most of the space available to me and filled it with books, books, books...

This room is the very hub of my career as a writer.  It is where I spend most of my time. The four bookcases are filled to bursting; each shelf is carefully categorized and the books shelved accordingly - this is a remnant of my time working at Waterstones.  Although it may look a bit haphazard, I know instantly where to find a particular kind of book. My own are proudly shelved too.

I love the warm feeling of this room; the cosy leather chair and footstool; the wind chimes tinkling in the window; the candles burning, flickering light and shadow on the spines of my books.  My microphone and laptop are housed in this room; this is where I go to work each day.  

I am not a photographer and the pictures are not fantastic, but they give you a little glimpse into my world as a work from home writer.  They might even inspire you to create such a space for your own writing. 

This is what you see when you first walk in; my escritoire desk, complete with pigeon holes and secret compartments

Two of the four bookcases; they are all equally full. These are the magical books; the others two bookcases house all my classics, literary, history, poetry, writing and equestrian books.

A cosy chair and footstool to sit and read, warm and snug wrapped up in my Bruce tartan.

A closer look at my desk. Bronte memorabilia from the Bronte Parsonage Yorkshire, is on the lectern. 


 

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Castles in the Air

Where will your dreams take you tonight?
Image from publish.newsserv.com.au

Castles in the Air

Imagine for a moment

 Your castle in the air

Where heart-felt wishes come to pass

If make a wish, you dare

Imagine what it looks like

Your castle in the air

Picture how your life would be

If only you lived there

Now fill your dream with colour

Make the vision strong 

Envision who you could be

This is where your soul belongs

To bring it into this world

Take a little time each day

Escaping to your dream castle

For good foundations you must lay

In a future moment waiting

You might look around and stare

For one day you could be living

In your castle in the air

by Marie Bruce

Happy New Year everyone!  I have been decluttering like a demon since January 2nd and I feel so much better for it.  It's great to let go of the past and clear the path for exciting new opportunities to come my way.

It has been quite a cathartic experience too - I finally let go of a box of stuff from my broken engagement. We split up years ago, yet a box of photos, Valentine's cards and jewelry was still lurking in the shadows, no doubt filling my home with old vibes of Bad Romance.  So out it went - with a flourish! 

I also found the poem above, scribbled into a diary I kept as a teenage girl so it would seem that I have always been a dreamer and a poet.  I wanted share it with you.  Enjoy :)

MUSICAL DOLL; Goodbye My Friend

This is another beautiful winter wonderland type music video. The opening scene reminds me of the film In the Company of Wolves as the gorgeous white dogs go running through the snow. A winters night; a spooky house; frozen lovers trapped in a moment of time; Posh Spice sitting primly upon a pile of over sized books, similar to the 'books'  coffee tables I have in my house.

It is a lovely song too; touching lyrics of old friends remembered at this special time of year.

"...goodbye my friend...it's not the end..."

Our paths may cross again, when the long winter has melted away and summer's magic once more holds sway.

WRITER'S DREAM; "It's a Flash in the Pan"!

 As soon as you begin to write in a serious way you will inevitably have to deal with the naysayers and dream stealers.  In my experience the most vocal naysayers were the people I loved...family, best friends, my then fiance.  It hurt that those close to me refused to accept my ambition to write as a valid career goal.  Not only were they dismissive of my dream, they took delight in sneering at me for it.

Naively I believed that publication would put a stop to their jeers. It didn't; it just gave them a more defined target, as to begin with I was only published in a very small way and for no payment.  As my work grew to a more successful level of publication, the sneers simply escalated to suit and were presented to me with a smirk and a smoke screen of joviality - they were only having a bit of fun, after all.  Eventually the outright sneering gave way to huffs, tuts and deep sighs of envy at any mention of my work as a full time writer.  I was living through a classic case of tall poppy syndrome, being surrounded by crabs in a bucket who were trying to pull me down. 

Then for a short time my success seemed to be 'supported' by those close to me and I thought I'd had a break through. It has recently been brought to light however that much of this 'support' was more of an attempted hostile take-over of my career by a piggy-backer just pumping me for publishing information so she could drop my name and try to get herself published by riding on my coat tails. I turned a blind eye when I thought it was a one off, but once I realized it had being going on repeatedly since 2003 I took action. The take-over has completely failed; the piggy-backer has been named and shamed to all my editors and music producers; the ranks of publishing have been closed against her. I can do without that kind of 'support'.

Success breeds envy. It is a common complaint that when someone becomes well known in their work, they drop their old friends and associates, but if jealousy were not a factor, then friendships and relationships would remain in tact when success comes knocking.  For too many years I put up with a lot of envy, back-stabbing and sniping comments from people I loved.  Now I have a new tactic; if the tie can be severed (so if it is not a family member) then I will do so.  Life is too short and I have worked too hard to let jealousy stand in my way.  

If you want to write, those close to you might feel threatened by your ambition.  My ex-fiance regularly told me that I had ideas above my station - what he meant was that I had ideas and potential above his station and he didn't like it. I have never severed a tie where I have missed the relationship afterwards; in fact it has always felt quite liberating to be free of the dead-weight hanging on my coat-tails. So if you are experiencing anything similar, it might help you to know that it's not just you! It happens.  

Here are some of the sniping comments that loved ones have leveled at me over the years. You might have heard something similar yourself;

It's a flash in the pan!

This on the publication of my first book. More than a decade later, my pan just keeps getting bigger and the flash flashier.

Oh I forgot, you're a big shot author now aren't you?
Yes, I am.

Wouldn't you be better off jacking in this writing lark and getting a nice little bar job?
Er, no, not really.

A writer? Mmm, but what's your real job?
Writing.

No-one wants to know how you worship the Moon Goddess!
Oh, really? My entire career to date begs to differ. M,B,S author.

I bet that's a signed copy of her latest publication! Prop up the coffee table with it.
No more freebies for you then!

But you don't do it all yourself do you? I mean, the editors tell you what to write don't they?
Yes, I do it all myself and no they don't. I decide what to write and where to publish it.

You'll never get published, it's just a pipe-dream! Grow up. Get a real job!
This was bad advice. My career in publishing speaks for itself.

It's not art; you're not a real writer, you're just a hack.
This from an unpublished failed 'journalist' wannabe.  Sour grapes? Oh, I think so.

It's not quite Byron is it?
Wasn't meant to be. Everything I write is meant to be Marie Bruce

Will you give a free copy of your book/album to a friend of mine?
No I won't. Go out and buy it and I'll sign it if you like, but I am a business not a charity.

Will you put this poem of mine/my friends in your next book?
No I won't. I am not a fast track to publication for the lazy. My work is just that - my own work.

You didn't really record an album though did you? You just let the musicians use your name.
Actually I wrote and sang every word, of every song and every melody was my own composition, so yes, I really did record an album. I am a recording artist now as well as an author - deal with it.

Oh I'm a writer too! Yes, I'm looking for a publisher. Will you introduce me to your editor?
Which one? Very unlikely. Do the leg work.

But are you actually published? (looking puzzled)
This from a local doctor, bless her! My response was; "As much as you actually went to medical school!"

You must be one of those self-published ebook authors?
No. I write for traditional publishing houses. Plural.

You'll never make it as a writer; you don't have what it takes. You'd be better to get a job in a supermarket, work your way up to management level. Forget the writing altogether.
Again, this was bad advice. I'm glad I didn't listen to it!

The moral of this post is, if your loved ones are threatened by your writing ambitions enough to snipe at you for it, you are probably in with a good chance of success! Don't let the naysayers grind you down. Just smile and chalk it up to envy, then keep calm and write :-)