Richard surprised me this morning with a gorgeous amethyst ring. It's an unusual setting, with a delicate bow at either end of the oblong stone. I knew nothing about it until he handed it to me in the jeweller's box. That is so like him; he's always buying me little presents all year round, whether there's anything formal to celebrate or not.

Yesterday I put a few more tweaks to a short ghost story, The Homecoming, which is set in Parkgate just down the coast from us. I'll workshop it a Riverside Writers before I call it finished, though, as I'm not totally sure it makes 100% sense yet. Sometimes when an idea is clear in your head you can't always see that the words on the page don't convey that idea clearly enough. That's where Beta readers come in handy.

On Friday last week I was invited back to City Talk radio to record four more of my short stories: The Club, New Year's Day, Clara's Wristwatch and The Faerie Tree. These will be broadcast during Roy Basnett's Zone Unknown show on Fridays between 10pm and 1am (GMT) on City Talk 105.9 FM.

Alternatively, you can hear The Club at any time throughout this week by going to the website at: http://www.citytalk.fm/showdj.asp?DJID=48793 To hear my bit, move the curser almost to the end of the slide.

If anyone is wondering why this LJ layout has been changed back to the original design, it's because the new one "ate" my guestbook. Not than many people have actually signed the guestbook anyway...!!! But it's a sparkly little gadget and I like it.

While I was in Liverpool on Friday, I visited the World Museum (as it now calls itself) on William Brown Street. No longer do visitors hike up mountainous steps to reach the entrance. Grand they may look, but those steps really were a bit scary. Anyway, I wanted to view the new Egyptian Gallery, but effortlessly spent three hours meandering round the entire place, taking in the aquarium (no seahorses now!) and the Romanesque statue section, which used to be bigger, and my favourite sculpture was absent. There was a lively display of Tibetan statues, and a gorgeous Asian goddess with twenty-four arms, and absolutely heaps of interesting, beautiful or educational things to see.

The Egyptian section didn't seem to have much new in it, unfortunately (in fact, I can remember pieces from the old displays which were not on show now, but maybe they're being restored?) However the collection's presentation has been greatly improved.

I was standing beside a mummy when a mother and two small boys approached. One of the boys wrinkled his face and loudly declared, "That's disgusting! Wrapping up dead bodies in bandages! That's horrible!" The other boy kept watching the mummy's fingers for any signs of life. I don't think the tea shop stocked tanna leaves....

On Friday, June 27th, at 11am, I will be guest on Cath Bore's show on 7 Waves Radio, which broadcasts on 92.1 FM. The show can also be heard live via the station's website at:- http://7waves.co.uk/live-across-the-wirral/.

I will be talking about my contribution to Ruins Metropolis, and reading aloud one of my other short stories - probably Clara's Wristwatch, which is a modern faerie tale.

I hope you'll listen in!

Two interesting articles on writing:- http://www.themidnighthour.net/a-sensitive-canvas/ and also:- http://www.themidnighthour.net/avoidance/ both penned by author Lilith Saintcrow.

So, how are your own writing projects coming along?

I've been invited to give a reading followed by a Q&A session with pupils of my old school, Golborne High School in late February. I've not been inside the building since I was sixteen - and no, I will not tell you how many years ago that was! I'm looking forward to it; it should be an interesting experience, and I'm curious to see how the school has changed.

No prizes for guessing that I've been working away at Rowan, which is now at 62,500 words. I've also now finished a short story, Clara's Wristwatch, which is my response to this month's writing project for Riverside Writers, and which I'll probably include in my next (third) Amazon Short. I've lined up four new Dark Fantasy stories for that already, but have yet to summon a title.

I'm still waiting to learn the publication date for my second Amazon Short, Quiet Lives, but it should be soon now.

Oh, if you wish to read some reviews of my first Amazon Short, click this link:- http://www.amazon.com/A-Wirral-Otherkin-Trilogy/dp/B000SMZ3I4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201354600&sr=8-1

To view the list of contributing authors for the forthcoming Ruins Metropolis anthology, which includes my Old world Magic, go to:- http://ericreynolds.livejournal.com/20882.html

This list can also be viewed here:- http://sfscope.com/2008/01/ruins-metropolis-table-of-cont.html

Ah, the bliss of a cup of Chai.... I have become seriously enamoured of this drink. Twinings do a lovely one, flavoured with ginger and cinnamon.

And I deserve it, too, I think, after climbing up and down that horrible creaky step-ladder all afternoon. I've been spring-cleaning the kitchen, tackling the dusty tops of wall cabinets and the towering fridge-freezer; a tedious task, but one of those domestic chores which simply need attending to every so often.

The morning was given to nearly-finishing Clara's Wristwatch. I say "nearly" as I'm not altogether happy with this story yet. It's another in my series of short faerie tales for adults, and arose from the latest project for Riverside Writers.

At the end of our last meeting we had two minutes to pick the next project's topic, (before "throwing-out time" at the library). There was a magazine lying on the desk, one of those glossy society rags which people leave on their coffee tables if they feel compelled to fake aristocratic leanings. Anyway, inside was an advert for diamond-encrusted wristwatches, and so this became the theme of our latest writing project.

Mum is now upside-down for the next three months. Who will I talk to on Saturday afternoons?!! Since my father died last year, we'd developed the habit of phoning each other on Saturdays. We talk about nothing of any consequence most of the time, but that's not important. So, she flew to Australia on Wednesday - hmm, maybe she's there now, or nearly there; the flight takes around two days, apparently.

Riiight, I'd better go now. I must get the Alaskan pollock out of the freezer. Naturally, hubby has already nicknamed it the "Alaskan pillock" but, with a name like that, what else can you expect!